Golden Moon in a Silver Sky
by Piplop
Summary: An orphaned princess agrees to marry an enigmatic king to save her people. She couldn't possibly have predicted the chain of bloody intrigue that her actions would cause... When entire kingdoms rise and fall in a fortnight, when thousands of lives can be extinguished with just a word, what could a single person possibly do to control her own destiny? Feudal AU. Developing SasuHina.
1. A Scroll and a Seal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other copyrighted/trademarked intellectual property that may have been referenced. I am making no money from this work.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A Scroll and a Seal**

 **By Piplop**

* * *

 _Summer_

The waxing moon hung bright and honey-golden in the cool, mid-summer sky. A breeze drifted across the wooden floorboards of the palace into the enclosed imperial garden, rustling the branches of the willows and bushes of flowers. Hinata leaned down and squatted by the pond, a basket on one arm with the sleeves of her black kimono rolled up to her shoulders. Her hands were smudged brown with mud as she cut away a few delicate stems of daffodil flowers and softly placed them into her basket. She carefully rinsed her hands and scissors in the pond, gently laying the sharp metal instrument next to the green stems, careful not to squash the golden blossoms.

"I thought I would find you here," an exasperated voice grumbled.

Hinata turned to look at her little sister, a surprised lift upon her eyebrows.

"Hanabi…" The two stared at each other, the muted noises of the garden not quite enough to fill the gaping silence. Like Hinata, Hanabi was dressed in the black robes of mourning. However, while Hinata's pale skin and puffy, red eyes made her look fragile, the white steel of Hanabi's making her look intimidating. A cricket began to sing.

 _Chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chiiirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-_

"How have you been these past two weeks?" Hinata's voice quavered, breaking the silence. When there was no reply, she took a hesitant step towards her sister and reached out. The short brunette looked away, jaw clenched. With a sad look in her eyes, Hinata dropped her hand.

"I've been fine," Hanabi finally mumbled. "The Advisor wants to see you right away. It's urgent." She swiftly turned her back and started off, expecting to be followed.

"Wait! I need to put these away and make myself presentable first!" Hinata picked up her skirts and rushed towards the halls, her muddy shoes almost slipping on the wooden floor as she exited the garden.

"Just hurry up. He's a really busy man. You know."

As they walked down the wooden corridors of the residential complex, Hinata observed the slight changes in her little sister since they last saw each other. She smelled vaguely of steel and sweat and her back was more tense than usual. There were barely noticeable dark circles under her eyes.

"You must have been training hard…" No response. Hanabi slightly quickened her pace, the dull thuds of her confident strides contrasting with the soft pattering of Hinata's feet.

"Hanabi, I know that this has been hard…" She trailed off, but then found her voice again. "You can come talk to me anytime… You know that, right?"

The younger Hyuuga's eyes hardened and her lip stiffened as they continued walking through the maze of corridors in silence. Hinata looked at the shoji paper doors as they rushed by, noting that several needed replacing. But with all the servants busy preparing for the funeral and the whole palace abuzz with military men and strategists, nobody could spare the time to attend to such trivial tasks.

They finally arrived in front of Hinata's room, with Hinata slightly out of breath. She opened her door, lit the candle next to the entrance, and removed her shoes.

"You're welcome to come inside," she prodded hesitantly. Her little sister's eyes were still hard, but she removed her shoes and slid the door closed. Hinata placed her basket on the floor next to her futon and poured a half pitcher of water into a jade vase. She tucked the daffodils that she had cut earlier into the vase and turned to her sister.

Hanabi hadn't moved from her position right beside the entrance, but her eyes now glistened and her lips were trembling with emotion.

"Mother loved that piece." Her harsh voice was now a mere sad whisper.

Hinata turned to look back at the vessel. The jade was a crisp forest green, adorned with shimmering speckles of silver. Two rabbits were carved on its side, frolicking in the clouds and overlooked by a full moon.

"I managed to bring it over from their room before everything was cleared out. I don't mind the other things, but I couldn't bear to let them auction this off, too." Hinata smiled slightly, a sad look in her pale, lilac eyes. "Remember how father would always tell us about how much effort it was to convince Master Sai to craft that for her anniversary present?"

"Psh, that weirdo is your age! No need to call him _Master_. Besides, he was only ten when he made that!"

"He's the most talented artisan that the Leaf Kingdom has ever had! He deserves the respect."

Realizing that she was on the verge of participating in playful banter, Hanabi steeled herself and stiffened her lip once more. A sharp stab of pain struck Hinata's chest as she quashed welling tears.

"Oh, Hanabi…" Hinata unrolled her sleeves and slowly walked towards her little sister, the floorboards creaking hesitantly under her weight. This time, the brunette didn't move to look away. Hinata slowly took her sister's hand in her own, gently rubbing the callused skin of her knuckles. Her palm was hot and sweaty. These days, Hanabi seemed to train non-stop, refusing to see anyone except her instructors.

Hinata had always been proud of her little sister's prowess in combat—at the tender age of thirteen, she was second only to Neji at the Leaf Kingdom's prized specialty of archery: she could shoot down a hawk blindfolded and upside-down on horseback from the sound of its cry alone. She also had a great head for military tactics. Although her small stature was an inconvenience for hand-to-hand combat, Hinata saw her little sister growing into a fearsome leader.

However, Hanabi had never been good at dealing with her emotions. Whenever she got upset, she tended to shut her feelings out and train until the problem went away or she was too exhausted to feel any anger or frustration at all. Unfortunately, the cause for her anguish couldn't disappear this time no matter how much training she undertook. And from the aching pain that Hinata still felt in her own chest every time some innocuous object reminded her of their parents, there was no way to tell if the choking sadness would ever dissipate.

Hinata took Hanabi into her arms in a gentle hug and buried her nose into her sister's thick hair. _Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out._ When she was little, their mother would always hold her like this after a particularly bad nightmare.

After several beats, she felt Hanabi's hands slowly grasp at the fabric of her obi.

Hinata responded by holding her small form just a little tighter and sighed. "They would want you to take better care of yourself. That's all we can do n-"

" _No!_ " Hinata winced at the explosion. Hanabi's grip was now so tight that it almost hurt.

"There is nothing we _can_ do! They were murdered! _Defiled!_ In. This. Palace." Hanabi stomped her foot on the floor for emphasis. "It's been two weeks and not a single clue as to who did it and why!" The shaking girl tensed up, trembled, and finally loosened her grip.

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Hinata could feel the fast, pounding beat of her little sister's heart. All she could do was rub her back and try to offer some iota of comfort.

"I'm going to find whoever is responsible. And I'm going to destroy them." Her voice was calm, level, and cold.

 _This isn't the furious ranting of a teenager_ , Hinata realized with a start.

It was the unbreakable promise of a child that had grown up too suddenly, too quickly.

Hinata slowly pulled herself out of the embrace and stared deeply into her little sister's pale white orbs. They were cold and confident, her brows steeled in a slight downwards frown. She had always been a rambunctious firecracker, filled with light, power, and unknown potential. However, over the past two weeks since the death of the King and Queen, she had driven all of that energy inwards. It fueled her anger, and through that, her training. Under that calm, focused exterior was a ferocious, boiling intensity that chilled Hinata to the bone.

 _There's no way that she can be happy this way. She looks so angry and alone._

Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes. Her lips trembled and her nose burned.

"Don't cry. Your eyes are already puffy. You have to look presentable for the Advisor."

Hinata lowered her head and looked down at the distorted lines of her wooden floor, fighting back the tears.

"I'll h-help you… So, p-please… Stop shutting everyone o-out."

Hanabi scoffed.

"Do you even hear yourself? Don't be ridiculous. This is _dangerous_ , Hinata. You're not the type to have the heart for murder and revenge! Just stay out of it." Hanabi turned, reaching to open the door.

"No, no, please—" Hinata grabbed onto Hanabi's arm, only to have the arm torn out of her grasp.

"What _can_ you do? You're… Weak! You'll be the first to die if anything happens! What if war actually breaks out?"

Hinata froze in a stunned silence, her hands awkwardly dropping to her sides.

Seeing her older sister's hurt expression, Hanabi sighed and rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Come on. Everybody knows that you're not good at this military crap! I just don't want you to get hurt."

Well, yes. Hinata knew she was a disappointment to the council. Imperial Hyuuga children were supposed to be strong, confident, and potentially useful in battle. Like Hanabi. Like Neji.

When everyone eventually realized that she was too gentle to be ruthless, too soft to be strong, only the protection of her parents kept the disgruntled council from selling her off to some lord or other in marriage at a young age. Through careful maneuvering, the King and Queen had made her a symbol. They had sent Hinata to regularly volunteer at food shelters, hospitals, and the markets. She was always happy to do it and was always under heavy protection by the guards. They even built a new hospital for the homeless in her name. Her parents molded Hinata into a figure of the generosity and kindness of the Imperial family, one who calmed potential riots when taxes were too steep and the soldiers too cruel.

 _There must be a good reason for all the hard times_ , the people would say. _They have us in their hearts—Just look at the Princess!_

The Princess of the People. Oh, but she was nothing more than a figurehead. Beloved by citizens, but without any power to do anything or enact any real change. And now that the delicately maintained peace and security had shattered, her thirteen-year-old sister had to worry about protecting her, a grown woman.

It was humiliating. Embarrassing. _Shameful_. Hinata had never felt so useless in her life.

Hanabi awkwardly rested her hand on Hinata's arm, perhaps in apology.

But then again, Hanabi never apologized.

"Let's go. He probably wanted us there a while ago."

Hinata wiped her face on her sleeve and nodded. They set off for the main halls, the air slightly less tense than before.

* * *

While the residential halls of the palace were simply, albeit elegantly, decorated with shoji panels and flowing gardens, the main complex of the palace was furnished to impress. These buildings had intricately carved rabbits, dragons, and phoenixes sitting upon their roofs. The doors were made out of heavy silver and the floors inlaid with lapis lazuli. This was where the business of managing the largest kingdom in the land was done.

The department of treasury collected taxes and had an army of tightly monitored blacksmiths that wrought ore into money. The department of agriculture collected yearly reserves of grain that would be redistributed in case of famine. The military trained their armies of soldiers and archers on the large, open fields in the palace. The department of domestic affairs, the area that Hinata was most familiar with, dealt with citizens' complaints and worked on civil projects.

Neji, who worked for the department of foreign affairs, often led visiting dignitaries through the main halls, trying to intimidate or impress potential allies and business partners with the wealth of the Hyuuga dynasty.

Hanabi and Hinata headed straight towards the largest building in the complex, a grand structure gilded in silver. It shined under the moonlight, and the dragon and phoenix statues at its entrance bathed in the golden glow of candles from inside. This was where the King and Queen had conducted the most important matters of state. Since the murders in the palace, the candles in the Grand Hall burned through the night as the council, the Advisor, and other leaders of military and state gathered here. They had their work cut out for them in solving the murders, dealing with governmental and civil unrest caused by the crisis, and smoothing over diplomatic relations with neighboring kingdoms.

Even seemingly peaceful allies would turn into ravenous vultures at the chance to tear away pieces of the Leaf Kingdom's abundantly rich lands.

As Hinata and Hanabi approached the steps to the entrance, the door flew open, revealing a rather frazzled-looking Neji.

"There you are! We were wondering if you were even coming." Neji bounded down the steps, graceful despite his obvious lack of sleep.

"Advisor Danzo has an urgent meeting with the head of treasury in fifteen minutes," he informed them in a quiet voice, rushing them along. "I hope this is enough time to get whatever he needs to say out."

With a gentle squeeze to Hinata's arm and a pat on Hanabi's shoulder, Neji opened the doors to the Grand Hall. A long, black table stretched before them, with Danzo sitting at the end. A sharp pain struck Hinata's chest as she thought about how her parents had sat at that very spot. Her eyes swept past him, resting upon the heavy decorative fan hanging on the wall behind Danzo. She hadn't noticed how dusty and moth-ridden the giant silk and sapphire piece had become. If she recalled correctly, this was a priceless treasure given to them by the Sand Kingdom when they first formed their alliance…

The grim, sleep-deprived faces of twenty-four councilors glared back at her. These were the representatives of all the noble clans of the Leaf Kingdom, sworn to support and protect the royal Hyuuga clan at any cost.

Hinata quickly bowed as Hanabi simply skipped the formalities and brushed past her sister to sit on a cushion at the end of the table. Hinata slid into the cushion next to Hanabi as Neji took his spot near the front, close to Danzo.

"Thank you for coming here tonight, Princess Hinata and Princess Hanabi." Danzo's deep voice carried across the long table. A draft blew through the room as the silver doors fell closed, making the orange candle flames flicker, casting amorphous shadows across the expansive silver walls and lofty ceilings.

"A-apologies for the delay, Advisor." Hinata gulped, Advisor Danzo's bandaged eye and mosaic of scars never failed to intimidate her. She doubted that Danzo could even hear her all the way across the inky length of the table.

"I hope that you are recovering well from the shock of the King and Queen's passing. We are all still in mourning with you." Danzo gestured at the uniform black kimonos of the council members. "They were so young…"

Hinata nodded and looked around. Amongst the glum faces of old men, she caught the saddened gaze of Neji and the worried look in Kurenai's eyes. She tried to give a small smile in recognition but she thought that it probably looked more like a grimace. Shibi Aburame, head of intelligence, gave her a slight nod from under his black mask. The Aburame clan had always been loyal friends of her family. Maito Gai, the leader of the military, was spouting rather dramatic rivers of tears and snot. They almost seemed to sparkle…

"Let's cut to the chase. What have you found out about the bastards that did all of this?" Hanabi cut in.

Hinata saw that her hands were balled up into fists under the table. They were so tight that her knuckles were white.

"The domestic affairs department has received several reports of two suspicious men who lodged in a tavern near the palace. They were there for a month before the incident and left the day of. The sources all checked out. We're currently working to create profiles on those two leads." Kurenai was a close family friend and a mentor to Hinata. As head of domestic affairs, they spent a lot of time together during Hinata's childhood while Hinata did her social work. Hinata didn't doubt that Kurenai, with all her intelligence and skill, was working day and night to find the perpetrators. Her beautifully clear skin and wine red eyes looked much worse for the wear.

"The eyes…" Gai paused, glancing at Hinata. He must be worried that she couldn't handle all this talk of blood and gore. Hinata looked down and dug her nails into her palm. She would not, _could not_ , cry in front of them. Not when Hanabi and Neji and everyone were working so hard. She couldn't become another liability they had to worry about.

"Spit it out!" Hanabi commanded.

"Well… We found what seems to be one of your mother's eyes in a shattered jar of preservative in the woods about a mile out from the Imperial Dragon City. There seemed to have been a conflict. We collected scraps of clothing, a shattered blade, and some foreign blood."

"My insects were able to use the evidence to lead a tracking squad" Shibi said. "I have a team of my best trackers tailing the lead, including Shino and Kiba." The masked man nodded towards Hinata. She knew that he mentioned her old friends as a gesture of reassurance, but she couldn't help but worry. They were definitely some of the most competent fighters in the land, but criminals who could take down even her parents from inside the imperial palace were a force to be reckoned with.

"And do you have any new information on why they carved out their eyes?—"

"Enough." Danzo's calm voice cut through the conversation. "We shall discuss this at a later time, Princess Hanabi. We did not bring Princess _Hinata_ here for such gruesome talk." Even though she knew that everyone thought she was too delicate and fragile for anything more than smiling and chatting, it hurt that they were stating it so blatantly…

"What can be more important than—"

"Silence!" Danzo's flashfire rage was difficult to incite, but when it flared, even Hanabi knew to obey.

"The head of treasury traveled all the way here at this hour upon my request. He shall not be kept waiting longer than necessary."

Danzo pulled a scroll onto the table. He looked straight at Hinata with his one inky eye. She shivered, but didn't dare break the stare. He had frightened her since she was a little girl with his stern ways and cold mask of indifference. She felt like a tiny rabbit, shaking and frozen in fear in the sights of a hawk.

"The council has decided that it would be best for Princess Hinata to get married." Hinata's heart leapt with dread. She knew that this could happen eventually. Wealthy families were willing to pay entire castles for a direct connection with the imperial family. With her parents dead and nobody to shield her from the harsh realities of the world, the council could finally get their wish.

" _What?_ " Neji jumped up, "When was this discussed? Why was I not a part of this decision?"

"Neji, you were away due to your duties managing affairs with the Tide Kingdom. It was an urgent matter. Besides, you're rather young for a council member. If your father hadn't died four years ago—" Realizing that he had overstepped his bounds, Councilman Tatsuji bit his tongue. "We were concerned that your _personal attachments_ would get in the way of a logical discussion," he sneered instead.

"You've already sold all of Mother and Father's possessions! No matter how much money we need, I will not allow my sister to get sold off like some… Livestock!" Hanabi piped up vehemently, banging the table for emphasis.

The initial shock having worn off, Neji sat back down and began speaking in a much more reasonable tone.

"The people are anxious and in a state of unrest. What they need now is stability. It would incite riots if their adored Princess was thrown away to some old man for political gain." Hinata let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She could always count on her brilliant cousin to pick apart an argument.

"I would not agree to marry the precious Crown Princess off to some trivial lord," Danzo finally interjected. "We have secured a promise with the Stone Kingdom."

"You don't mean…" Neji's eyes widened in horror. The other council members all looked rather smug.

"King Sasuke Uchiha has agreed to wed Princess Hinata. Their association will create the greatest army this land has ever seen. The Leaf Kingdom will never again fear the threat of extermination."

Neji and Hanabi were shocked into silence. Hinata could hear blood pounding in her head.

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Was her vision starting to go?

 _Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

She thought she heard a councilman cough.

"He is a monster!" Hanabi spat at Danzo. When she received no reply and a stony silence, Hanabi stood up and paced the room, whipping her head to glare each council member in the eye, searching for any signs of weakness. She finally stopped in front of their old family friend, Kurenai.

"You agreed to this too?" Hanabi almost sounded like she was pleading to the red-eyed woman.

"Yes… I believe that this is the best option for the kingdom… And for the Princess." Hanabi's shocked glare of betrayal could have burned through a man, but Kurenai simply returned the stare with a level, sad look. She then turned her gaze to Hinata, who could only stare back in shock and confusion.

"The kingdom is in turmoil! You are fools if you can't see that a war is coming. We need all the gold, armies, and allies we can get!" Councilman Hyo added.

"Although Sasuke Uchiha is a strong king and the Stone Kingdom would be a strong ally, he killed his own brother!" Neji glared around the table at the councilors. Some shifted uncomfortably in their seats and others couldn't meet his eyes. Most just stared back remorselessly. He continued slowly in a deep voice, full of weight. "He is unstable and cannot be trusted. Nothing will stop him from killing her, too." A pause. "If that were to happen, there can be no peace. The people would never allow it."

But why would the councilors care about someone like her? Hinata could never expect the leaders of the Leaf Kingdom to defend her life when the happiness of thousands was at stake. She wasn't strong like Neji, smart like Kurenai, or promising like Hanabi. They all knew that she would be useless wasting away in the Imperial palace like a beautiful flower—desirable, pretty to look at, but ultimately worthless.

"Princess Hanabi, please sit." Danzo held up a hand. "Such frivolous quarreling is wasting our time."

Hinata noticed that Danzo made no motion to refute any of Hanabi or Neji's claims. She had heard the stories, but was Sasuke Uchiha such a terrible man that even the ruthless advisor had nothing to defend him with?

"Although we have obtained the marriage contract, the final choice is Princess Hinata's to make. We are not such barbarians as to force a young maiden into marriage in chains."

All of a sudden, twenty-six pairs of eyes shot towards Hinata. The councilors had never paid her that much attention in her entire life and their intense, expectant stares were starting to make Hinata wilt. Her head was swimming again, her palms cold and clammy. She tried to straighten her back and lift her head, although the weight of the stares landed like a heavy, iron crown.

 _I must not look weak now._

The heavy silence stretched on.

Hinata was not surprised by this choice. The Leaf Kingdom prided itself in its progressive policies. It was illegal to force anyone into marriage or slavery. Women like Kurenai, and eventually Hanabi, could prove themselves worthy to be heads of state or leaders in the military. Even Danzo, once a clanless orphan, had become the Leaf Kingdom's top advisor. Hinata's heart gave a flutter of hope. She had the choice of rejecting this offer. She could spend her life in the protective confines of the palace, tending her garden and slowly helping Hanabi recover from her dark, vengeful grief. Maybe one day, she would go into town and meet a wonderful man, like that sunny schoolmaster's son. She could have the choice to marry out of love. Just as her parents had. Just as they had wished for her.

But it could never be the same again. Her blissfully long childhood disappeared that night her parents had been murdered, their eyes gouged out and their blood smeared mockingly across the walls and ceiling.

Now she knew that the palace was no safe haven. She could no longer pretend that this miraculous peace would last forever. If she didn't go to the Stone Kingdom, Neji and Hanabi may be relieved, but the entire council would spit in her face. Her beautiful country would be ravaged by neighboring kingdoms attacking at a single sign of weakness, and then utterly destroyed when civil war broke out. Thousands of innocent people would be mercilessly slaughtered.

 _I am useless to everyone if I stay. I would only be a burden._

Hinata looked at the hopeful faces of Hanabi and Neji and then turned to Kurenai's sad, wine eyes. Perhaps she knew…

Her heart thumped hard and fast, a frightened hare struggling to break free of its cage. She parted her lips to say the damning words that would seal her fate.

"I-"

"It's obvious! Of course she doesn't want to marry that lunatic!" Hanabi sprang up again.

Hinata paused, her sister's desperate plea wavering her decision.

 _I'm needed here. She needs me here!_

"Princess Hinata has until tomorrow morning to decide. Come back here anytime before then to inform us of your decision." Danzo made to put away the scroll. "Now, I believe the head of treasury has been kept lon—"

" _No_." Hinata's voice startled everyone in the room, including herself. Nobody had heard the meek princess sound even remotely forceful before.

"No?" Councilman Tatsuji squeaked.

 _Oh, what did I just say?_

The weight of twenty-six pairs of eyes fell on Hinata again. Her heart raced and her lungs froze. All of a sudden, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

 _Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. I will not faint._

"I-I've made my choice." She winced at her own pathetic stutter. The intense stares of everyone in the room bore into her. Hinata's heart thundered in her temple, blacking out her vision. She discreetly pinched her thigh. The swimming dots receded.

"I will marry King Sasuke of the Stone Kingdom."

That was it. She had made her promise and there was no turning back.

The councilors smiled in surprise and relief, offering her a flurry of congratulations while gossiping amongst themselves.

"I thought she would refuse for sure!—"

"—thank the gods, we're saved!"

"Ahh, the flower of the beautiful Princess's youth will finally blossom!" she heard Gai sniffle.

"—how did Danzo know she would agree to this? Not even Temari of the Sand was will—"

Hanabi's distraught cry cut through the buzz of the councilors, "You… You can't!"

"I agree. We need you here to restore the people's trust in the imperial government." Neji pleaded with his eyes.

"I-I have made my decision. If this marriage will secure the peace of the Leaf Kingdom, I am more than willing... It is my d-duty. I am the people's Princess," Hinata lifted the corner of her mouth at the irony. She looked into Danzo's cold, black eyes, summoning every ounce of courage in her being. "Over the eighteen years that I have known Advisor Danzo, he has always done what is best for the people. If he says that this is the best way to ensure the prosperity of the Leaf Kingdom, then I am confident in his decision."

Danzo's eyes glinted. "I knew you would eventually make the best decision for the people. Your… Remarkable bout of courage will serve you well in the Stone Kingdom."

Danzo's compliment only made Hinata sick to her stomach.

He unfurled the scroll and grabbed a small, black dish from a servant as he made his way across the room.

"If you ask me, Princess Hinata's marriage is long overdue," somebody whispered. "Most noblewomen her age already have several children. If I recall correctly, the late Queen was only—"

"You! Speak of my mother again and I will rip out your tongue." The councilwoman paled at Hanabi's threat.

Danzo reached Hinata's end of the table and took the seat offered by the councilman next to her. He placed the black dish on the table and laid out the lengthy scroll in front of her. The scroll was lavishly transcribed with gold ink. They had really gone the extra mile, as to be expected for a royal engagement of this magnitude. Hinata noticed that a crimson seal had already been stamped at the bottom, with a bloody thumbprint next to it.

 _Sasuke Uchiha_ , the gold letters shone cold and mysterious below the red blotches.

"I trust that you have your seal?"

"O-Of course," Hinata reached into her sleeve and pulled out a blue, silk pouch. Danzo gestured towards the black dish. It had a thin pool of dark ink and a steel needle placed next to it, carefully avoiding dipping into the ink. In a moment of probable insanity, Hinata had a flashback to her daffodils and scissors laying side by side in her basket earlier that night.

 _That moment in the garden felt like it happened ages ago…_

"At least let me read the contract for you before you sign it." Neji glared at Danzo and the councilors in distrust.

Hinata nodded and Neji proceeded to carefully pour over the glistening words.

A minute passed. Then another minute. Hanabi impatiently tapped the table with her fingers. Hinata shifted awkwardly in her seat.

"How does it look, Councilor Neji?" Danzo asked after the silence had stretched on for too long, his confident calmness infuriatingly smug.

Neji frowned.

"It is fair. If any harm ever comes you, you are free to come home. The Stone Kingdom will yield Red Fox Castle and the surrounding lands to the Leaf Kingdom in compensation." Neji's brow was furrowed.

Hinata was surprised, such favorable terms were unheard of. Especially for a princess like her who had no significant beauty, fighting prowess, or diplomatic skills.

 _Was the young ruler of the Stone Kingdom truly that desperate for a wife?_

"And what do they require of m-me?"

"Nothing, it seems. You are free to keep a small entourage after the initial wedding celebrations. They will gain full rights as Stone Kingdom citizens." Neji paused, adding hesitantly. "This is standard, but any children you bear will be Uchiha and relinquish any rights to the Leaf Kingdom throne."

Hinata blushed. _Children._ The thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Hinata, this is suspicious. Please don't do this. At least take some more time to think it over," Neji hissed under his breath.

Hinata shook her head and removed her heavy stone seal from the blue pouch. She held back her sleeve as she dipped the face of the seal in ink. She looked at the letters of her name, _Hinata Hyuuga_ , at the bottom of the scroll. The same gold lettering as the Stone King's name made it look equally royal and formidable. One could almost believe that the owners of the glistening names would be a beautifully matched pair as well. Hinata pressed her seal firmly into the scroll, which greedily sucked the blue ink into the thick cloth.

Hinata lifted the seal and observed the result. The navy lines were thick and unsmudged by shaky hands. The stamp looked a thousand times surer of this marriage than she felt.

Danzo took the needle from the dish and held it to the flame of a nearby candle to cleanse it. Once the metal cooled down, he offered it to Hinata.

Hinata was a veteran with needles from her time spent watching people get stitched up, and eventually doing some of the work herself. She felt a brief prick of pain as blood started to well up. When the crimson droplets had gathered and were starting to flow down her thumb, she quickly pressed her finger to the scroll, rolling it around to get a fuller print.

Hinata lifted her finger and gently blew on her drying blood.

"It is done." Danzo took the scroll.

Now that she had (literally) sealed her own fate, Hinata's nervousness left her, along with the panic and anxiety from before. For the first time in a long time, she felt assured.

 _I wonder if this is how Uncle felt when he decided to jump in front of that arrow…_

Danzo's lips turned up in a chilling smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Hinata suppressed a shudder as he walked back to his seat, careful not to smear the scroll.

She feared this man.

While she had seen even the worst councilmen have their moments of humor or joy, she had never seen any warmth in Danzo's eyes. She wondered if he was even capable of emotions aside from cool, calculated focus and pointed flashes of rage.

However, actions spoke louder than words. And every one of Danzo's actions during his lengthy service had been smart, thoroughly researched, and, in hindsight, in the absolute best interest of the people. That was why her parents had held him in such high esteem.

Hinata didn't trust him, but she had every reason to trust his advice.

"Now that this is settled," Danzo handed the scroll to a servant, who quickly whisked it away. "You should all know that since Princess Hinata will shortly leave the Leaf Kingdom and Princess Hanabi is not yet of age, the law states that I will serve as King until Princess Hanabi's sixteenth birthday."

A chill ran down Hinata's spine, making the hairs at the base of her neck stand up on edge. Of course she knew of this law, but she had entirely forgotten about it amidst all the stress and excitement of the evening. Neji's lips were pressed in a thin, pale line, and Hanabi looked even angrier than before. A few councilmen were positively gleaming while Gai offered his hearty congratulations. The Aburame was as stoic as ever and Kurenai's pretty face was marred by a furrowed brow.

Hinata quashed her unease. Danzo was a strong leader. He would do lots of good for the kingdom. Even Hanabi wouldn't argue that Hinata was better fit to rule.

"Well, the council is grateful for your time and your cooperation, Princess." Danzo was interrupted by a frightened looking servant who whispered into his ear.

"…The head of the treasury is threatening to leave now, after waiting outside all this time. Although I'm sure the fortuitous news of your marriage will improve his mood." Danzo turned towards her little sister.

"Princess Hanabi, the council can continue our discussion of the investigations surrounding the King and Queen's deaths, if you would like to—"

"I'll stay." Hanabi's eyes were steel cold once more. Danzo nodded.

Now that this meeting was over, the other councilors started pulling out scrolls, abacuses, and wells of ink from under the table in preparation for the next item on their agendas.

Danzo met Hinata's eyes from across the table and lifted an expectant brow.

"Princess Hinata, if you'd please…" Danzo gestured towards the door.

What a blatant dismissal.

* * *

Author's Note: This is the first story I've ever published and I'm feeling pretty excited/nervous. I've been an avid reader (and secretly a writer) for a few years now, but I've never really dared to post anything. I've been working on this piece for a while. I know that my writing probably isn't the best and I hope to improve, so please comment/PM/review. I would love to hear your thoughts. (Love it? Hate it? Meh?)

Please, please, please give feedback!


	2. Sable City

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other copyrighted/trademarked intellectual property that may have been referenced. I am making no money from this work.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Sable City**

 **By Piplop**

* * *

 _Autumn_

Hinata stumbled in her ornate robes as Neji led her into an even more ornate silver carriage. They were in the main square at the entrance to the palace, flanked by the two long lines of her wedding entourage. A multitude of carriages were heavily loaded with all manners of treasures—gold, silver, jewels, artifacts, and priceless scrolls from the imperial library. Five entire carts were dedicated to her clothing alone. The weavers had worked tirelessly the past two months since the announcement of her engagement to create a wardrobe worthy of a queen.

An ocean of people surrounded her party, buzzing with excitement. Every palace servant and soldier was lined up to send her off.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you," Hinata attempted a reassuring smile, "My shoe just caught the inner hem, that's all."

"This dress suits you well," Neji nodded approvingly. Hinata blushed at the compliment.

"N-No, you are too kind." Hinata hurried into her carriage, making sure not to trip again. "This is all thanks to Master Sai's talent." The ceremonial robes were an intricate affair involving six thick layers of cloth. The inner layers were a white cotton, thin and breathable but still trimmed with silver. They contrasted with the heavy outer layers of silks in varying shades of purple that dragged onto the ground behind her. The outermost layer was intricately embroidered with silver phoenixes soaring through rolling clouds, their eyes gleaming with glowing pearls and their tails heavily studded with amethysts. Hinata's obi was a thick band of the softest snow rabbit fur, netted with glistening droplets of clear crystal. A headdress in the shape of a silver phoenix weighed down her neck as the neck of the bird elegantly arched towards the sky, its sapphire-studded wings hugging her temples. Tassels of silver dangled from the structure into her hair, weighted at the ends with teardrops of the indigo gem.

 _So this is what that decorative fan hanging in the Grand Hall must feel like._

As Hinata settled herself into her seat, careful not to wrinkle the layers of her robes, Danzo stepped forward in his simple black kimono. He appeared strong and stiff-backed despite his wooden crutch and lame arm.

"Princess Hinata, we shall part ways here," Danzo gave a slight bow. "We are apologetic that not all of the council will be able to accompany you into the Stone Kingdom, but there are urgently pressing matters that we need to attend to." The fifteen present councilmen bowed in tandem. Despite the three months of hard work that everyone in the imperial palace had put in, the fog of intrigue surrounding her parents' deaths had not yet been cleared. Their funeral had been a solemn affair, held shortly after Hinata signed the contract with the Stone Kingdom. It was well attended by nobles and diplomats across the land from all five kingdoms. Everyone had lined up for hours to offer their condolences, but Hinata could sense their unrest. Some feared for their own security while others evaluated the state of the Leaf Kingdom and schemed.

King Danzo was unceremoniously crowned one week after. The new king had been growing rather frustrated with the state of the investigations and had worked non-stop until, all of a sudden, their two leads seemingly vanished into thin air. Danzo swore that there would be no respite for anyone until the perpetrators were executed.

"Of course, I understand." Hinata dipped her head in acknowledgment. "Thank you for all of your hard work."

"It has been decided that Councilor Kurenai Yuhi will retire from her post in domestic affairs and join you in the Stone Kingdom. She will act as your advisor and our ambassador. You will also have many maids and servants at your disposal when you arrive." Hinata's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wait! Councilor Kurenai is a cornerstone to this kingdom! What will become of the domestic affairs department?"

 _When was this decision made? Was Kurenai forced into this? What was going to happen to all the—_

"Councilor Kurenai suggested this course of action herself. She'll join you at Sable City after she wraps up some business there. The schoolmaster, I believe his name is Iruka, is prepared to take her post."

Hinata was shocked. Kurenai loved her work and the people of the Leaf Kingdom. She had always said that it was her life's goal to set up shelters, schools, and hospitals in every city in the nation and that she wouldn't rest until that was accomplished. She was talented, intelligent, and had the respect of the people and councilors alike. Why would she abandon everything? It was such a waste.

Yet, Hinata couldn't help the small glimmer of relief that warmed her heart.

With two reverberating strikes from his crutch, Danzo quieted the entire plaza. He cleared his voice, signaling the beginning of his speech.

"Today, we send off Crown Princess Hinata Hyuuga to the Stone Kingdom for her marriage to King Sasuke Uchiha," Danzo declared, looking across the ocean of people. "We pray that joy and fortune will smile upon the new union of the Leaf and the Stone." He lowered his head to look at Hinata. "You are the pride of the people and the greatest treasure of the Leaf Kingdom. May the rain fall wherever you go, may the harvests be bountiful, and may the gods be with you. Fate be willing, may our paths cross again."

Empty words said for the sake of ceremony. She wouldn't mind never seeing Danzo again.

"Now, the people are waiting. Please go and receive their best wishes and farewells." Danzo's stony stare reminded her that if this marriage was truly going to work, she had the duty of convincing the people that this was what she wanted.

Hinata dipped her head.

 _I will smile and wave. Just as they wish._

One by one, the councilors followed Danzo back into the main complex of the palace.

"Master Shibi!" Hinata called out. The masked councilor turned back towards her. With a blush, Hinata gestured for him to come closer, two lavender pouches in hand.

"I know that this may be a bit troublesome, but would you mind giving these to Kiba and Shino? I wanted to see them before I left, but it seems that they are still not back from their mission…"

Shibi nodded, tucking the silk pouches into his sleeve. In an uncharacteristic move, he placed a hand on Hinata's elbow. It was warm, even through the six thick layers of cloth. It lingered there for a beat—as if Shibi was about to say something—before the man sighed, turned away, and joined the retreating Danzo.

"Ready?" Neji asked, his eyes a solemn reflection of his white diplomatic robes.

Hinata took a breath and nodded, taking one last look at her home of eighteen years. The expansive wooden complexes of the main palace stood tall and proud in the early morning light. The people of the palace stood uniform, waiting.

 _I may not see this place again for many years._

Hinata's eyes started to water. She swallowed back her sudden fear.

 _I chose this path for myself. I cannot turn back now._

Neji waved his hand into the air. Hanabi, on her horse at the front of the entourage, held her arm up to signify that she had received the signal.

"Open the gates!" Hanabi's cry echoed, her black, armored frame a striking silhouette against the rising sun, silencing the crowd inside the palace.

The wooden doors, manned by ten men each, slowly swung outwards with a groan. The drummers at the front of the entourage began banging their wide, red drums in unison, setting the beat for the parade.

 _Boom._

 _Boom._

 _Boom._

 _Boom._

As the palace gates opened, the noise of the people waiting outside crescendoed. Shouts and screams of joy filled the air. Entertainers got on high stilts at the front of the parade to throw confetti onto the streets as bright red and gold lion dance performers jumped and weaved to clanging music.

Hinata's carriage jolted as her four horses started to pull. She straightened her back and folded her hands on her lap. They were to parade through the main street on the eastern side of the city and she knew that the road ahead would be bumpy.

When the slow-moving carriage reached the palace gates, Neji turned and yelled towards Hinata over the deafening crowd. Although she couldn't hear him over the cacophony, Hinata smiled at his reassurance.

The areas closest to the palace were where the wealthiest in the Imperial Dragon City lived. Men, women, and children lined up in the streets, showered with the rice and confetti from the entertainers that had just passed by. They laughed, waved, and yelled their congratulations as a line of soldiers blocked them from getting too close to the princess. Hinata smiled and waved back.

As they passed the inner ring of the city, the crowds got louder and rowdier. The wave of soldiers struggled to push back the throngs of people trying to get closer to the royal carriage. Hinata recognized several of the shelters and hospitals that she had worked at. The pungent fish market was empty the next street over, as everyone had come to attend the parade. She could make out several familiar voices in the crowd…

"We love you, Princess Hinata!—"

"If your husband bullies you, I'll beat him up for you!—"

"The kids at the Academy miss you already!—"

"Come back and visit soon!—"

Hinata smiled even harder, the muscles of her face starting to ache. Even the people most familiar with the Princess wouldn't have noticed that her smile showed a little too much teeth. They would write off her glistening eyes as joy for her bright future or the bittersweet bid of farewell expected from someone leaving her childhood home. Although there were unsavory rumors floating around about the Stone King, his kingdom was secure and prosperous. And after all, since Princess Hinata had personally chosen him to be her husband, he must be a kind and generous man who would treat her well.

As they reached the edges of the Imperial Dragon City, where rice paddies and fields of vegetables replaced huts and lines of people, the booms of the drums gave away to peaceful silence, entertainers got off from their stilts, and the lion dance performers packed away their props. Soldiers fell into a more orderly formation: the scouts were sent to patrol the road ahead on horseback, the archers rode to the front, joining a clump of foot soldiers, and the rest of the infantrymen marched alongside the long line of carriages. Hinata's carriage fell to the rear of the party, amidst the carts of treasures.

Hinata let her smile fall and her back slump over. She was tired and a bit hot and sweaty. The pale autumn sun was starting to heat up the slightly frigid morning air, causing Hinata to be thankful that her carriage at least had a nice roof.

"I'm going to ride back and join the rear cavalry for a bit to see if anyone suspicious decided to follow us. Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'm hardly by myself, Neji. We're surrounded by an entire platoon."

"You know what I mean."

Hinata sighed. Not even Neji trusted her to not have a mental breakdown. She didn't blame him, but still…

"I see Hanabi coming this way. She'll probably keep me company for a while. Be safe."

Neji nodded at Hinata and the approaching Hanabi before trotting to the rear of the line.

"That was a nightmare!" Now that they were out of the city, Hanabi dropped all ceremonial pretenses as she guided her horse to a slow walk next to Hinata's carriage.

"That armor fits you well. You look every bit the leader of this platoon." Hanabi brushed a strand of hair back into her ponytail, her tan cheeks turning rosy at the praise and her nose upturned in pride. Hanabi had been put in charge of the soldiers for this trip, a weighty responsibility for one so young. The platoon was large, composed of five squads: one scouting squad, two infantries, a cavalry, and a squad of their finest cavalry archers. Although Hanabi had only led small units on missions in the past, she was growing up and Hinata had no doubt that her little sister was up to the task.

"It's just the standard gear…" Although she was prideful, Hanabi was not very good at taking compliments. "Those peasants were so dirty and loud, I don't know how you deal with them!"

"They're kind people, Hanabi— _our_ people. Our most important duty is to protect them."

"Parroting back what mother and father always lectured us about… You're so stiff!" Hanabi humphed. "And you're way too nice. No wonder they like you so much…"

The sadness that crept into Hinata's eyes with the mention of their parents was less sharp and painful than before. It was refreshing to see her little sister mouth off. It seemed that Hanabi had regained some of her original spark in the past two months.

"But you can't let that Sasuke Uchiha walk all over you! You gotta throw your weight around a little if they push you around! Well, knowing you, that's probably not going to happen. Kurenai will be there though, so I guess she can help you out—"

A horse gave out a startled whinny from the front of the party. Hinata turned to peer at the road ahead. A lone man had stepped out onto the street in front of the line of soldiers. He looked vaguely familiar and was waving frantically.

"Halt!" Hanabi commanded, staring intently at the figure, her hand reaching for the bow and quiver on her back. The soldiers stiffened. Hinata craned her neck to try and get a better view.

"Ah, it's that bastard pot-maker. Proceed, no harm in running him over if he doesn't get out of the way."

"Hanabi!" Hinata chided. She heard the clip clop of hooves behind her and turned to see Neji.

"What's the hold-up?"

"Ah, Master Sai is up ahead. He's walking towards us now."

"Hanabi, please tell your men to be at ease." Hanabi grumbled but complied.

"He lives so far up north in the Snow Hare Mountains. I wonder what he's doing here?" Neji frowned.

Hinata shrugged. The master artisan was known to be rather eccentric.

As Sai approached, they could see that he was wearing his usual tight black top, gloves, and pants. He carried a large, round backpack. The midriff of his shirt was scandalously cut as always and Hinata found herself blushing in embarrassment.

"How are you doing, Princess Perv?" A demure smile accompanied Sai's low voice. Hinata blushed even more furiously. He had given her that nickname when they had first met as kids. Ten-year-old Hinata had stared at the pale, flat expanse of his exposed stomach for just a bit too long back then... She was just _…shocked_! The little princess had never seen anyone so undressed in public before. It was inappropriate!

The surrounding soldiers looked decidedly uncomfortable at the exchange.

Neji bristled. "Master Sai, you would do well to treat the Princess with respect!"

"And what's up with all that mud on your pants? Did you fall into a pond or something?" Hanabi asked sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Sai's face still had that same sweet smile. It was a little unnerving, really…

"I was just harvesting some of the mud in the rice paddies. The soil outside of the imperial city has the best composition of clay for my pottery."

"Did you even ask the farmers for per—"

"It's good to see you, Master Sai!" Hinata quickly interrupted. Hanabi and Sai could bicker like this for hours. Hanabi would get angrier and angrier as Sai would just rile her on with that calm grin plastered on his face. "Thank you very much for making the robes for my wedding. They're the most beautiful clothes I have ever worn."

Sai's smile fell and his eyes stared into Hinata's accusingly. "I really despise sewing. I had to sew for a month straight because of you." His comment made Neji sputter.

"Uh-Uhm…"

"Alas, I have a present for you, Princess Perv." Sai removed his muddy, black gloves and reached into his backpack, pulling out a lacquered black box decorated with engravings of a beautiful mountain landscape. He opened the box to reveal a jade pendant on a silver chain and a jade hoop bracelet. The speckled forest green stones rested upon a thick bed of black silk.

"This is—!"

"I just used some leftover materials laying around the workshop. Remember when your father came all the way to the Snow Hare Mountains with that lump of rock for your mother? I thought it would be a waste if the rest just sat there." Sai closed the box and handed it to Hinata.

"Thank you, Sai. This means a lot." Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes.

"You still cry too much. Stop it."

"O-Okay."

"I carved the pendant into a rabbit. It suits you a lot better than that thing on top of your head."

Even though Sai's comment probably should've offended her, for once, Hinata agreed.

"There's also some other stuff down there that you should play with later." With that, the enigmatic artisan slipped on his gloves and abruptly slid down the slope of the road into a rice paddy. He trudged through the crops towards the center of the field.

"Bye! Thank you!" Hinata called out. Sai didn't turn around but waved a hand into the air.

"Why does such a rude man have such a pretty face?" Hanabi pouted, whining under her breath. With a flip of her ponytail, she galloped forward, commanding her men to move out.

Neji shook his head and trotted towards the rear lines once more.

* * *

Hinata's party was getting rather worn from their three days of travel. The protection detail, heavy horse carriages, and foot soldiers forced them to travel at a frustratingly slow pace—they could barely cross a measly twenty miles in a day.

The princess was getting weary too. Although Sai's dress was truly a masterpiece, it made everyday tasks very difficult for Hinata. To her embarrassment, the entire entourage had to stop for half an hour every time she needed to relieve herself. She was glad for the thick cloth though, it served as a solid cushion against the many bumps in the road. Hinata was sure that her bum would be a lot more sore had it not been for the heavy silk layers.

As they headed towards the border of the Stone Kingdom, Hinata rubbed her aching back and stared out of her carriage, admiring the natural beauty of her country. Most of the Leaf Kingdom was flat with lush forests, rich fields, and the occasional lake. Only the far north had difficult terrain and cold, steep mountains.

They were currently in the Sable Forest to the east of the Imperial Dragon City, aptly named for the critters that lived there who were valued for their fur. The beginning of autumn was heralded by the tall orange maples of varying heights that grew throughout. The sunlight filtered past their golden leaves and cast a warm glow on the soil and underbrush. Soft clumps of ferns sprouted along the thick dirt road, their ever-so-slightly browned edges curled in response to the creeping chill of winter. Every once in a while, Hinata would spot thickets of green bamboo, stretching proudly towards the sky, their flexible branches swaying in the wind. Sable City was a major commercial post that laid at the eastern edge of the forest, just ahalf-day's travel to the border with the Stone Kingdom.

 _Caaaaaaaawww_

The piercing cry of a hawk startled Hinata out of her musings. She craned her head out the carriage to look up just as a shadow passed over her face. The bird glided low, its talons almost brushing against the tops of the riders' heads before it landed on Hanabi's outstretched arm.

"It's one of theirs," Hanabi observed. The red and brown messenger hawk had a black tube on its back, etched with the red and white fan of the Uchiha crest. The bird lowered its head and ruffled its feathers as Hanabi twisted open the lid of the container. The hawk cocked its head from side to side as it observed its surroundings, settling its sights on Hinata. The wide black pupils of its eyes glinted with intelligence as they seemed to focus on the princess. Hinata felt like the bird was judging her. Like she was a meal. She gulped.

"It's addressed to the royal wedding party." Hanabi unrolled the scroll, her eyes quickly skimming its contents. When she finished, she held up the scroll at Hinata. Neji, who was on horseback flanking Hinata's other side, craned his neck to see.

"They basically want to know if we'll arrive at the border tomorrow or in two days. They need a day's notice to send out the welcoming party."

"I estimate that we can arrive at Sable City late tonight," Neji stated in a matter-of-fact way, "So tell them to expect us there by noon tomorrow." As a part of his work in the department of foreign affairs, Neji had traveled these roads numerous times over the past four years.

"We'll have to push everyone a little if we want to get there before the sun sets." Hanabi furrowed her brows in thought. "Hmm… We only have two or three hours left." While it was unlikely that burglars would try anything on such a well-guarded group, Hanabi didn't want to take any chances. The sun was setting earlier and earlier these days and it was always safer to be within the walled confines of a city or surrounded by rings of guards inside camp before the last vestiges of daylight disappeared.

The Leaf Kingdom was landlocked and surrounded on all sides by warring neighbors. Sometimes they were allies, at other times they were vicious enemies. The Sand Kingdom was to the south, their shifting dunes stretching further downwards for hundreds of miles. Nobody really knew how far the control of the Sand Kingdom reached or if the dunes ever stopped. The Cloud was to the North, a mysterious foggy land full of swamps and saltwater marshes feeding into the ocean. Their soldiers specialized in camouflage and poison. The wedding entourage should be far enough away from the northern border for an attack to be any real threat, but it was still a possibility. The Tide was to the west and the Stone to the east. The Tide was the Leaf Kingdom's closest ally. They had cultivated a close relationship through trade over the past few decades. The Leaf Kingdom had plenty of ore, furs, crops, and lumber that they traded for valuable supplies of iron for weapons and other goods from the ocean. The Tide was well known for their shipping industry that carried out trade with far off harbors in the Cloud and the Stone.

Until recently, the Stone and Leaf Kingdoms had not been on the best of terms, with border skirmishes over plots of land, lake islands, and castles occurring every few weeks. The violence had come to a stop when the new king had come into power. Amidst rumors of regicide floating around about a year ago when he began his rule, King Sasuke formed a tenuous non-aggression pact with the late King Hiashi and constructed a great wall at their borders. The Leaf Kingdom hadn't been in any eastern skirmishes since.

Hanabi turned and yelled at her troops: "Three rounds of drinks on me tonight if we get to Sable City before sundown!"

The soldiers hooted their appreciation and began to quicken their pace, the promise of a warm bed and free alcohol spurring them on.

"Here," Hanabi tossed the scroll at Neji, "You write them a reply."

"I can do it! I'm the only one sitting in a carriage after all." Hinata leaned down to pull out a brush and a bottle of ink from a bag under her seat.

"No, it's okay. This dirt road is bumpy and we can't have you spilling any ink on those robes of yours."

"Ahh… You're right." The ceremonial clothes had become like a trap for Hinata the past three days. She wished that she didn't have to wear them the entire time they were traveling, but she had to look dignified in front of the platoon and in case they met anybody important on the way. She couldn't wait to get out of the monstrosity.

 _I'll never have to wear it again after my wedding night, I suppose…_

Neji rolled up the scroll when the ink dried and tossed it back to Hanabi, who had been cooing at and petting the hawk. She caught it in one hand and expertly resealed the scroll back into its holding tube. Its baggage reloaded, the hawk hopped down from Hanabi's arm onto the crunchy brown leaves of the dirt path.

"What is it doing?"

The hawk struck, its neck fast as a snake. Hinata heard a _ker-crunch_ and saw the bird of prey emerge with a large black beetle in its yellow beak.

"I guess they need a snack every once in a while…" Hinata winced. Her friendship with Shino had taught her to be rather empathetic towards insects. The hawk spared her a final, unnerving gaze before it took off to the skies.

They had a ways to go before reaching their last stop before the Stone Kingdom and the road stretched long ahead. Hinata yawned and rubbed her back again, the hours of sitting all day starting to take a toll on her not terribly robust muscles. She was looking forward to seeing Kurenai, for although she loved her cousin and sister dearly, they made for poor conversation after sixty hours non-stop in each other's company. She was beginning to suspect that they were starting to get sick of each other. Hanabi's fiery temper and Neji's stony stubbornness easily fueled arguments, which Hinata was now spent from defusing. The soldiers were kind, but their professionalism encouraged them to respond in short, curt words whenever she tried to make small talk.

 _When I see Kurenai tonight, I'll ask her why she's doing all this._

* * *

They reached Sable City less than an hour after sunset. It was getting chilly in the early evening and the wind nipped at Hinata's nose. She was thankful for the heavy, insulating layers of her dress. The mayor, a tan middle-aged man with an oily complexion, was waiting at the walled stone gates when they arrived.

"Princess Hinata, it's an honor to receive you at Sable City." The mayor bowed as he approached Hinata's carriage.

"It's nice to see you again, Mayor Chohan." Hinata didn't particularly like the mayor, who was the son of the leader of the local merchant's guild. He had a terrible penchant for gambling and would've been broke by now if it wasn't for his aging father's wealth. Hinata gagged and held back a cough at a whiff of the dense pipe smoke that clung to his black robes. His frizzy hair was combed back, which brought out his thin, squinty eyes.

"Please allow me to show you to our finest inn. Lady Kurenai is waiting for you there." Chohan shuffled on ahead.

They headed inside the city, random passersby stopping to stare at their large company. Hinata ducked her head and covered her face, not wanting to attract any extra attention. Luckily, the streets were dark, barely lit by the surrounding buildings. It would be difficult to see the opulently tacky carriages unless people were up close.

"What's that, mommy?" She heard a child ask.

"I don't know, darling. But look at those horses! Aren't they pretty?"

"—Oy! Could that be Princess Hinata? I heard she's gettin' married to that Stone King, ya know!"

"Don't be daft! You think they wouldn't block off the streets and force us to attend some huge parade if someone from the royal family was here? I bet you it's just some rich merchant. You know how that boot-licker of a mayor always kowtows to those types." Despite all the encouraging propaganda about the royal Hyuuga clan and all the good that they've tried to do for the country, Hinata knew that many Leaf Kingdom citizens still harbored ill feelings towards the rulers of the kingdom. It wasn't hard to see why. Even relatively well-off trading cities like Sable had a huge population that lived in poverty. When the common people saw someone like the mayor, _like her_ , who rode around in a silver carriage and threw out food just because they didn't like the taste, they got resentful. Hinata wasn't so blind as to miss the corruption that creeped in the shadows of her kingdom. When she was younger, she'd accidentally wandered into plenty of dark rooms with sheepish men and women quickly tucking pouches under their seat cushions. The people, who have to live with that brutal socioeconomic gap daily, noticed it too.

The carriages finally came to a jolting stop in front of the inn. It was warmly lit with white paper lanterns hanging beside the doorway. The soldiers formed a protective path into the inn when Hinata moved to step out of her carriage.

"I hope you enjoy your stay, ladies and gentlemen. I shall leave you here, I've got a… ahh… An appointment I have to make. Please come find me at any time if you need anything!" Mayor Chohan bowed as he shuffled away, probably to a gambling den.

"They emptied out the whole place for us tonight." Neji informed Hinata.

"Ahh… But that must've caused a lot of trouble for the people who were staying here!"

"I'm sure they relocated them to other inns. Your safety's our number one priority."

"You also need a good night of rest," Hanabi added. "We'll be presenting ourselves to the Stone Kingdom tomorrow. We don't want any nosy peasants sneaking around outside or banging on doors."

"I guess..." They entered the tall building, a small crackling flame in the fireplace warming up the room. Hinata rubbed her hands together, grateful for the heat. The whole first floor was empty except for a cook behind the counter and a smiling man and a woman that Hinata assumed were the owners of the inn. Shiny mahogany tables with neatly pushed in chairs covered the hardwood floors.

"Captain Hanabi, we don't need to take guard or patrol shifts tonight, right?" A soldier prodded.

"I'll still need a basic two-person patrol but I've got a few men who agreed to that already. So yeah, the rest of you guys are free to do whatever you want tonight. Just make sure you get some rest and take advantage of having an actual futon to sleep on. And don't let me catch you wandering into the seedy parts of town!"

"So… Treat us to those rounds of drinks you promised, cap'n?" The soldiers cheered Hanabi on.

"Hey, watch it, Watase! Don't push your luck! We didn't make it here before sundown!"

"Come onnnnnn… We're just poor young men trying to make a living! Treeaaat us!" When they were off-duty, these battle-hardened men whined like schoolboys. The sight made Hinata chuckle.

The rambunctious soldiers jostled a smile out of Hanabi. "Fine, fine. Just one round though! You all still need to get some rest." The soldiers jumped and hooted, jolly smiles on their faces as they clapped each other on the back.

"Hello Princess Hinata, Councilor, Princess Hanabi…" A melodic voice broke through the fray.

"Kurenai! It's good to see you!" Hinata hadn't noticed the staircase in the back. The woman was dressed in her traveling outfit instead of the black robes that she wore in the capital. The short white kimono had red sleeves and was decorated with the black thorn pattern of her clan. It accentuated her voluptuous figure. Kurenai hugged Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji briefly, a warm smile on her face.

"You must all be tired from the road."

"Were you able to finish your business here?" Neji inquired.

"Yes, everything should be all set now. I have full confidence that schoolmaster Iruka will be able to take it from here." Neji nodded, pleased. The teacher was a kind and dependable man. Although he was a bit too honest for any political maneuvering with the council, he was very hardworking. Iruka wasn't from a noble clan and didn't live in a well-fortified house, but in case anyone tried to threaten him, his unruly son would probably be able to fend off any unsuspecting criminals.

"Come on men, let's get the horses and the carts into the stable. Izumo and Kotetsu, stay. You're on guard duty first shift." Hanabi waved at Kurenai in farewell before clasping her men on the back. "We'll get drinks after all the horses are settled."

The inn was again quiet and peaceful after Hanabi and her platoon left. The innkeepers approached Neji and Hinata.

"May we show you to your rooms?"

"Please," Neji gestured towards the stairs.

They weaved through the tables on the first floor and followed the couple up the dimly lit stairs with the two guards in tow. The floors were a slippery, dark wood that seemed well-lacquered. Hinata had a bit of trouble with the skirts of her robes and needed Kurenai to help her hold up the front of the outermost layer in order to climb up the stairs. She apologized in embarrassment as they trudged up three flights. When they stopped, Hinata was a bit out of breath from wobbling around in her heavy clothes.

Noticing the princess's discomfort, the innkeeper's wife apologized. "We're sorry about the stairs, Princess. We would've given you a room on the second floor but the letter said to put you up here on the fourth floor where it's safest." They walked down the long hallway. Mahogany walls with interspaced shoji doors were lit up by the yellow paper lanterns hanging from the dark wooden ceiling. The halls smelled faintly of an earthy incense.

"It's no problem at all, thank you." Hinata smiled at the couple. They seemed nice.

They stopped four doors down from the stairs, opening a shoji door to reveal an expansive room lit with several candles on tables. A well-stuffed maroon futon was spread out at the far side of the room, next to a wooden window paned with paper to keep the chilling winds out. They turned to Neji. "This is your room, sir. Would you like for us to bring up any tea or anything to eat? Our chef makes great sesame balls."

"No, I think I'll just retire for the night." The innkeepers bowed.

"Good night Hinata, Kurenai."

"Good night. Sleep well."

Neji stepped inside and slid his door closed with a tired smile.

"I've been living in that room," Kurenai pointed at a door across the hall a few feet down.

"Ahh, Princess Hinata, you and your sister have the room next to Lady Kurenai's." They walked across to the shoji door, which opened to reveal a slightly bigger room than Neji's with two futons laid out on either side of the window. "If everything is to your pleasing...?"

"Ah, yes, thank you! This is really nice." Hinata gave a slight bow.

"Could you bring up some tea and sesame balls?" Kurenai pressed a few copper coins into the woman's palm. With a large smile at the payment, the innkeepers nodded.

All of a sudden, the muted yells from soldiers re-entering the building rang up the stairs. It was amazing that they still had so much boisterous energy. After all that traveling, Hinata was achy and drowsy.

"Oh, could you also tell my sister where our room is when she comes up?"

"Of course, ma'am." With that, the innkeepers bowed once more and hurried down the hall. Kurenai stepped inside and closed the door, nodding at the two guards pacing up and down the hallway. The slight change in pressure made the flames of several candles on the tables flicker. Without the light from the bright lanterns in the hallway, the corners of the large room were obscured in an inky blackness. If one were to sit next to a candle with a scroll, they would barely be able to make out the words. _The dimness is comforting, though_ , Hinata thought as she paced the room, exploring her quarters. She couldn't wait to crawl under the soft, warm covers and get some rest.

"Do you want some help with those robes?" Kurenai gracefully gestured at Hinata's body with a flick of her wrist.

"Yes, please…" Hinata smiled with relief. It was nearly impossible to get all those layers off by herself—Hanabi had been helping her these past two nights. As Kurenai dealt with the complicated task of undoing the rabbit fur obi, Hinata carefully pulled her phoenix headdress out of her hair. A few of her silky black strands had gotten snarled up with the dangling tassels, making Hinata wince in pain. When she finally untangled herself, she placed the piece on the long table under the window between the two futons. Hinata thought that the dull thunk the heavy crown made was oddly satisfying.

"Kurenai, would you mind if I asked you a question?" Upon receiving a distracted " _Hmmm?_ ", she prodded hesitantly, afraid to intrude. "I was wondering… Why did you decide to leave the Leaf Kingdom to come with me to the Stone? You have so much you're leaving behind here… There is so much more you can do!"

Kurenai paused in her undoing of Hinata's obi. Flustered by Kurenai's silence, Hinata felt the need to explain herself. "N-Not that I'm not grateful or anything! I'm actually really relieved that you'll be there! But…" Hinata trailed off, leaving the two women in silence.

Kurenai sighed, sounding much older than her mere twenty-four years.

"I'm getting old, Hinata."

"But you're still young!"

"It's far past the time for me to get married and settle down." Kurenai said with a bitter smile. "Despite all my focus on the kingdom and my career, I _do_ want to have a family, Hinata." It was well know that the head of domestic affairs traveled often and even worked over the holidays.

"So…" Hinata was confused. Why leave the Leaf Kingdom? There were plenty of good men who would make a great match with Kurenai.

"My clan has been trying to coerce me into marrying some lord or other. Not all of the prospective candidates are bad, mind you, but you know how my father is. He expects me to do nothing besides take care of household affairs and raise a litter of sons after I get married."

Hinata nodded slowly. The head of the Yuhi clan was known to be rather traditionally conservative. She thanked the heavens that her father had not been like that. It would have made it a lot more difficult for Hanabi to pursue the path that she wanted.

"I want to do more than that. As a Stone Kingdom citizen, I would be free from those expectations. Well, at least, I'd be too far away from my father for him to actually exert any influence. I guess it's escaping in a way, but I want to be able to choose my own path."

Hinata pondered what Kurenai had told her. After a beat of silence, the newly appointed diplomat continued to help the princess with her robes. After the furry obi was removed, the other layers came off easily. Hinata quickly changed into a white cotton kimono for bed while Kurenai neatly folded up the draperies and laid them on the tatami floors next to a futon.

"You're very brave, Kurenai." Hinata's quiet voice quivered. She would never have such courage or even a fraction of the tenacity that Kurenai has always displayed. Even though she was the Crown Princess and was from a clan with higher standing than the Yuhi clan, everybody still walked over her. It wasn't really their fault. She had let them push her around ever since she was a child. She was weak like that.

Kurenai chuckled at Hinata's words. "No, no, I'm just being selfish." A twinkle returned to her eyes, "But _you_ , Hinata. You have a special kind of courage. One that only comes with kindness and selflessness as strong as yours. I pray that you will find happiness wherever you go."

Hinata was about to deny the undeserved compliment when she heard quick, heavy footsteps coming from down the hall. Within seconds, the shoji doors slammed open to reveal Hanabi carrying a wooden tray with a tea set and a plate of sesame balls. The brunette kicked her shoes off at the door and used her socked feet to close the door in a sharp motion.

"Hanabi, be gentler with the door! You'll wake Neji!" Hinata chided softly, already wary of the growing volume coming from the soldiers on the first floor.

"Don't you worry, he's out like a rock! I heard him snoring when I passed by his room. He sounds like a warthog, you know?" Hanabi snickered. "I feel sorry for whichever poor girl he's gonna marry."

"Th—!"

"Let's eat these before they get cold!" Hanabi jovially interrupted, collapsing onto the tatami floor and setting the tray down. "The innkeepers say that they just made them fresh. These sesame balls smell delicious!"

As they enjoyed their snack and bid each other good night, none of them noticed that the men on the first floor had fallen deathly silent.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! It's a huge encouragement to have people interested in my story. I'm going to try and upload one chapter a week.

The action is going to pick up in the next chapter. Hopefully it hasn't been going _too_ slowly so far? I'm still polishing Chapter 3 and am very excited to show it to you guys!

Again, this is the first story I've ever published and I would really appreciate comments/PMs/reviews. I would love to hear your thoughts. (Love it? Hate it? Meh?)

Please, please, please give feedback!


	3. Assassin

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other copyrighted/trademarked intellectual property that may have been referenced. I am making no money from this work.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Assassin**

 **By Piplop**

* * *

 _Autumn_

Hinata woke up to a large crash.

With a gasp, she threw off her covers and sprung upright. The window had been thrown open, letting the chilling wind howl against her face. Long candles were toppled and pieces of clothing were blown all over the floor. Hinata could make out Hanabi and a figure in a thick black vest writhing and snarling in the center of the room.

Probably alerted by the sounds of altercation, Izumo and Kotetsu, the soldiers on the first guard shift, crashed in. Seeing the situation, they pointed their spears at the two and started yelling for help.

"Guards! _Guards!_ We have an intruder in the Princesses' room!"

They didn't move to join the fight, wary of the whirling blades and the possibility of accidentally injuring Hanabi. Hinata drew up her covers to her chest and shrank into a corner as she watched the brawl between her sister and the intruder in terror.

Hinata heard a guttural yell, and a second later, she saw that the stranger had pinned down Hanabi's arms with his elbows. He moved his arm back, aiming a glinting kunai at Hanabi's face.

" _No!_ " Hinata let out a sharp scream. The man swiveled his head to look at her, distracted for a split second. That was all it took for Hanabi to aim a quick jab of her knee to his gut, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to shift his center of mass away from his elbows. Hanabi wrenched her arms free of his weight and grasped his thick forearms. With a cry of exertion, she curled her back, braced herself on her knees, and flipped the man over her head, forcing him to drop his kunai in the process.

 _Crack!_

The sharp sound of bones breaking resounded through the room as the masked man's tailbone met the hard, wooden floor. Izumo and Kotetsu took that opportunity to quickly jump onto the intruder. With a final cry, the man whipped his foot forwards in an arch—a high-pitched whistle shot towards Hinata as a hidden blade flew at her, burying itself into the wall half a head's length from her neck in a resounding thud.

Hinata's heart leapt as she slowly turned her head in shock to stare at the offending weapon. The thin blade was still quivering from the force of its launch.

The man in black grunted and continued to thrash despite the two men and ferocious girl holding him down.

"Secure him! I want him alive!" Hanabi barked, her voice panting and strained from the struggle. Izumo and Kotetsu grabbed the man's arms and twisted them behind his back, forcing him into a hunched kneel.

"Who are you?" Hanabi was breathing hard. The masked stranger was still a head taller than her sitting down even when he was being shoved into a kneel. Sensitive about her prone defensive position, Hanabi pushed herself up on one knee to stand up and look down at their captive.

"I'll never tell you filthy scum anything!" The man spat his words out vehemently, his lilting accent hinting at origins from the Cloud Kingdom. He turned his sharp gaze to Hinata, beady black eyes filled with hatred. Hinata's heart leapt to her throat at the electrifying glare.

"I'm going to kill you, you whor—!"

 _Slap!_

Hanabi used the full force of her arm to strike him across the face. The blow was so hard that the man was thrown sideways onto the floor. Hinata was pretty sure that she heard the bones of his neck crack from the impact.

In a split second, the man wrenched his arms free and lurched away from Kotetsu and Izumo, whose grip had been loosened by Hanabi's violent strike. Hanabi immediately stomped the heel of her foot onto his solar plexus, pinning him down and making him wheeze in pain while the two soldiers regained their hold.

"Eyes. On. Me." Hanabi returned the gasping man's glare full force. "Now, how did you know we were here?"

While they didn't exactly travel in disguise, they definitely didn't broadcast their location in order to avoid crowds of well-wishers and dangerous situations such as this. Neji had even taken regular shifts with the rear cavalry and the scouts to make sure they weren't being tailed. Only the Leaf Kingdom council and a select few in the Stone knew exactly when they had left the capital, when they planned to arrive at the border, and when and where they stopped in between. It was disconcerting that a foreign assassin from the Cloud was able to track them down to their very window. They could have easily gone to Koi Village further north, which was a more direct route to the Stone Kingdom's central city, or even camped in the woods for another night. An attack of this precision should have been nearly impossible unless the assassin had access to highly specific and heavily protected information. Even with such sensitive intelligence, he still would have needed to infiltrate Sable City and camp out for a while, awaiting the exact night of their arrival.

"Now that I can see you in the light, you're quite a pretty one," the captive sneered lewdly. "Maybe I'll tell you a little something if you come closer…"

Hanabi scowled and shared a quick look with Izumo and Kotetsu. She then slowly crouched down on one knee, a foot away from the man, and stared at him eye-to-eye for several beats. Hinata didn't dare move, breathe, or make a sound. She could hear the quiet, sharp whistling from the assassin's spent lungs every time he drew a breath.

"I don't trust you," Hanabi hissed. In a blur that Hinata's eyes could barely follow, her little sister suddenly shot her hand forward towards the perpetrator's mask. The figure reacted quickly, whipping his head downwards and tucking his chin to his chest.

 _Rrriiiip!_

A heartbeat too slowly, Hanabi, Hinata, and the guards realized that their prisoner had bit at his puffy vest, tearing a hole with his teeth. A purple gas began to leak from the small gash. The man attempted to gnaw on it to widen it further.

"Shit!" Hanabi spat, jumping back onto her feet. "It's poison gas!" Hinata drew the sleeve of her cotton kimono over her nose and mouth, afraid to breathe any of it in.

With a coordinated heave, Kotetsu and Izumo dragged the man across the floor and to the window. He kicked at the walls and windowsill, struggling to break free while leaking purple gas in puffs. With a forceful hoist, the two soldiers threw him out from the fourth floor.

They heard a muted thump a moment later.

Hanabi immediately grabbed her bow and quiver from her bedside and rushed to the window. In a smooth motion, she drew the wooden arch and let an arrow fly, the bowstring slapping her unarmored right arm with a loud, painful thwack.

"He's dead."

Hanabi threw down her weapon, turned, and walked towards the still-frozen Hinata. She was covering her face with her left arm.

Hinata noticed a thin stream of blood dripping down the white kimono sleeve of Hanabi's right hand, snapping her out of shock. Hinata gasped at her sister's cut—the intake of breath allowing a sharp, bitter smell to permeate into her nose and mouth.

"You're inju— Mmph!" Hanabi forced Hinata's arm back over her face and spoke in a muffled tone.

"Don't talk. Don't breathe."

She dragged a wobbly Hinata to her feet—Hinata noticed that her vision was starting to swim and that she was trembling—and pushed her towards Kotetsu and Izumo. The four of them hurried out of the room and slammed the door closed behind them. Hinata saw Neji and Kurenai approaching them from down the hall, probably startled awake by the clamour.

"What's happening?" Neji rushed to the unsteady Hinata's other side, lifting her arm over his shoulders for support. The lurch and shift in weight made Hinata feel sick to her stomach. The world spun and then refocused on Kurenai, who had a severe look on her face.

"Hinata was targeted by an assassin… The window…" Hanabi gasped and panted breathlessly, finally out of the vicinity of the toxic fumes. "Probably from the Cloud from his accent and the poison gas… Belladonna."

" _What?_ " Neji exclaimed, shooting an alarmed look at their closed door.

With a proud smirk, Hanabi tossed her hair out of her face. "We threw him out of the window. He's dead."

"How did he get into the city?" Kurenai asked in disbelief.

"I don't know…" Hanabi handed Hinata's other arm to Kurenai and paced down the hall past her open door. Hinata could hear her heartbeat pounding heavily in her ear. She tried to drag her feet to walk by herself, but found that she couldn't feel her arms or legs. In a daze, Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but only a confused gurgle came out.

Hanabi stopped in front of Neji's room.

"Hinata breathed a bit of the stuff in. It's not enough to be deadly, but she needs to air herself out far away from the source." Kurenai and Neji stumbled into the open room and laid Hinata down on the tatami floor. Izumo jogged to the window and threw it open while Kotetsu closed the door. Hinata found that she couldn't move a single muscle. She was terrified out of her wits and her heart was drumming rapidly, albeit steadily.

"Izumo and Kotetsu, I assume you two are okay?" The two soldiers, fueled by adrenaline, nodded fiercely.

"You did good." Hanabi nodded at them in thanks.

"Kurenai, can you go with them to get the others?" Hanabi said with a scowl. "Those other idiots probably drank too much to hear anything."

There was a reason the short captain never partook in alcohol. As a warrior who prized her quick reflexes, she hated anything that could dull her senses or slow her down.

"Wait!" Neji whipped his head back and forth, suspiciously looking at the window and the door. "Shouldn't we check if there are any more of them?"

"I'm sure that was the only one. The Cloud only dispatches lone assassins for purposes of discreetness. And besides, if there were more, they would've attacked when we were dealing with the first one and couldn't protect Hinata." Hanabi's military experience shined through in her confidence. Kurenai, Izumo, and Kotetsu nodded and left, promising to be back soon.

"Oh, I just remembered, I brought some charcoal." Neji ruffled through his bags, his long brown hair a mess against his sweaty, furrowed brow. "Let's have her swallow some to help soak up the poison."

"Yeah," Hanabi nodded, staring intently at the paralyzed Hinata. She moved to kneel over her sister to take her pulse. "Her heartrate's steady. A bit faster than normal. Her pupils are really dilated, though."

"How much of it did she breathe in?"

"Just a whiff, but it's probably top grade," Hanabi frowned. "We'll need some soldiers to secure the area where the assassin fell. There probably aren't many people roaming the streets at this time of night, but we don't want any civilians stumbling across his body and breathing that stuff in. The rest of the gas should dissipate by morning."

Neji drew out a wooden box from his bag and opened it to take out a small, black slab. He grabbed a jug of water and handed it to Hanabi.

"Sit her up and give her some water. It'll help her swallow."

Hanabi dragged Hinata's limp body across the tatami to the nearest wall. She propped her sister up and squeezed open her jaw with a firm grip. Tilting Hinata's head back, Hanabi poured a tiny bit of water into her mouth. Hinata coughed at the intrusion, her reflexes still working despite her lack of muscle control. Her eyes watered from the pain, but some of the liquid made it down her throat.

"Sorry sis," Hanabi mumbled, wiping at Hinata's dripping jaw and throat with her clean sleeve. Neji broke the charcoal into small, tablet-sized pieces and dropped one into her mouth. Hanabi followed up with a bit of water and helped massage Hinata's throat as she choked down the tablet. They repeated this process several times.

"I think that should be enough. We don't want to give her too much." Neji wiped his charcoal-coated hands on a nearby cloth and stood up to pace the room, his brow furrowed. "I wonder what's taking them so long. I don't hear anything coming from downstairs either."

Hanabi shrugged, occupied with helping Hinata through the small coughs that still racketed her from time to time. "I'll check on them after Hinata's settled."

The room fell into silence, only broken by the soft shuffles and squeaks of Neji's feet pacing on the tatami.

From the position of the moon low in the sky framed by Neji's window, Hinata could tell that it hadn't been long since she had gone to sleep. _Maybe two hours?_ As a member of the ruling clan of the Leaf Kingdom, she had experienced her fair share of kidnapping and assassination attempts, but the blood and violence still shook her. It deeply disturbed Hinata that there were people out there who hated her enough solely based on her family and her position to want to end her life without ever meeting her, trying to get to know her values, or understanding what she stood for. Sure, there would always be people who would profit from extorting money from a wealthy clan or killing off their heiress, but Hinata wished that it didn't have to come down to violence.

The dry, bitter taste of the charcoal choked Hinata. Despite the water, a bit of the charcoal dust had settled in her lungs. It hurt a bit to breathe. As Hanabi rubbed Hinata's back and covered her with a blanket to shield her from the chilling winds, Hinata thought that she could feel her body reconnecting bit-by-bit with her brain. She was starting to be able to twitch the muscles in her numb arms and legs, though her extremities were still slightly prickly and inaccessible.

The door suddenly burst open, making Neji jump and startling Hanabi into a protective crouch in front of her sister.

"We can't wake anyone up!" Kotetsu panted, probably from rushing up the stairs. He was visibly panicked. "Even the innkeepers are unconscious!"

"Are they dead?" Hanabi asked in alarm.

"Th—" An arm pushed Kotetsu out of the doorway, cutting the man off and inciting a surprised yelp. Izumo appeared in his stead.

"No, no, they're not dead. Lady Kurenai says that they seem to have been drugged to sleep." The much calmer soldier brushed his bangs out of his left eye, though they fell back immediately after. "She'll be up soon. She said she had to check something."

Kotetsu righted himself and shoved his friend with an indignant pout.

"Our situation is getting more and more serious…" Hanabi frowned, ignoring the two's antics. She looked out the window and then looked back to Izumo. "I need a hawk right away!"

He gave a sharp salute and hurried off.

"And you," Hanabi's eyes sharpened with vengeance as she pointed to Kotetsu. The bearded man gulped. "Get the mayor! We need their soldiers for backup! And he's going to answer for how an enemy assassin got inside _his_ city!"

"Yes, captain!"

"Don't forget to avoid the poison gas where he fell!" Hanabi called out after him.

"I'm going to check on Kurenai." Neji shrugged on a thicker kimono to warm himself from the cold, windy room. "It's not safe to be alone right now." He swiftly slipped on his shoes and closed the door.

Hinata was beginning to stir. She tried to hold herself up without Hanabi's support but only ended up coughing some more.

"W-Water," Hinata's voice was rough and raspy from the abuse. Hanabi propped her up and helped her swallow several small mouthfuls of the cool liquid, this time with much less choking.

"Hinata, you're trembling! Are you feeling alright?"

"Y-" Hinata cleared her throat, shivering uncontrollably from the cold and the shock on her body. "Yeah. I'm starting to be able to move. I th-think I'm going to be okay." Hanabi nodded, absentmindedly continuing to rub Hinata's back.

"I don't know how much you remember, but we were attacked by an assassin from the Cloud. I got him through the eye."

"I actually—" Hinata was overcome by a fit of coughs. "—I actually rem-member everything that happened. It's odd-d. I could see and hear e-everything but I couldn't m-move a muscle."

"Well, be glad that you only breathed a little of it in. You would've been in a lot worse shape otherwise."

"Th-Thank you for saving my life, Hanabi." Hinata smiled shakily.

Hanabi sighed and moved in for a hug. "I'm just glad you're okay." When Hanabi lifted her arm, Hinata noticed the wet, red stain on her right sleeve. She gently grabbed her little sister's arm by the elbow and lifted the sleeve to observe the swollen, red welt from Hanabi's bowstring.

"Hanabi! You're hurt! We need to clean this a-and wrap it up!"

"Oh, I barely even felt that."

"That's the adrenaline talking! We don't want it g-getting infected!" Hinata reached for a jug of water and poured it over the wound. She noticed that she was starting to warm up and that her shakes were starting to cease. Hanabi hissed at the stinging sensation.

"Did you get hurt anywhere else? What if his kunai had poison on it?!"

"Calm down, sis. He didn't get me."

Hinata hmmphed, displeased, as she patted down the newly washed cut with a nearby towel, pale red dabs of bloody water dyeing the cloth. "You know you shouldn't use the bow without your armguard."

"I wanted to be sure that I would get him. He could've survived a fall from the fourth floor." Hanabi's eyes narrowed. "No assassin that's gone after my family is going to get away alive."

As Hinata cleaned the oozing line on Hanabi's arm, her thoughts wandered back to her parents. The last she heard, the assassins that had ended their lives had been tracked to the Snow Hare Mountains in the north. Their trail had gotten lost in the ice and snow of the long mountain ranges. She wondered what Shino and Kiba's team were still doing up there. Were they gathering information from nearby towns?

"I… I didn't want to tell you, but since you're so worried already, I guess it wouldn't hurt." Hinata snapped out of her reverie. Her little sister only used that tone of voice when she was being very, very serious.

"There's actually been progress on the murder investigations." Hanabi looked from the open window to the closed door and paused to listen for any footsteps. Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "This is top secret information, so you must not tell anyone."

Hinata nodded. She understood the gravity of the situation. Her little sister was probably breaking several laws by telling her, someone who would soon abandon her Leaf Kingdom origins to rule over a rival nation.

"The team that Kiba and Shino were on ended up tracking our two leads to the border of the Cloud Kingdom."

Hinata gasped. So the murderers that killed her parents were from the Cloud, too? The trackers must have gone east after hitting the tall mountains until they reached the marshes near the Cloud Kingdom's border with the Leaf. It made sense that this information was restricted to a select few in the military. The evidence was piling up and getting harder to ignore—war was coming. Danzo and the council probably didn't want the people or officials to panic: it was important to keep up the pretense of ignorance until they were ready to attack.

Hinata recalled receiving the condolences of King Yagura of the Cloud Kingdom at her parents' funeral. He was merely a boy, slender and pale with light brown hair and a staff on his back. His expressionless purple eyes and blank, thin-lipped smile had unnerved her at the time. One so young shouldn't look so dead inside. Hinata's heart started to race.

"Shino and Kiba are still camped out at the northeastern borders. We're going to gather more information for now." Hanabi paused again to check for potential eavesdroppers. "Danzo's sending us out on an infiltration mission after your wedding. We're going to get to the bottom of this."

"…We?" She definitely heard that right.

 _Does that mean…?_

"I'll be leading the mission."

Hinata's eyes widened. The Cloud was dangerous! Their terrain was still relatively unknown despite their increase in trade the past few years.

"I _know_." Hanabi cut off Hinata's objections before she could even open her mouth. "But it's something I have to do." She closed her eyes and took a breath. When Hanabi's eyes opened once more, they shone like steel, reminding Hinata of that time in the imperial garden months ago.

"I _will_ make them pay." Hinata looked down. There was nothing she could do or say that would change her little sister's mind.

"Be careful, Hanabi." Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes. "And thank you for telling me. You know how much this means to me…"

"Yeah, yeah" Hanabi looked away in slight embarrassment. "You deserve to know the truth. They're _our_ parents, after all." They sat in silence until the door opened. Hinata looked up to see Neji and Kurenai.

"It's good to see you up, Hinata." Kurenai smiled as they entered the room. "We were able to narrow down the source of the drugs to the sake. The corks had some small holes drilled into them that suggests they had been tampered with. The soldiers should be fine, though. I would be surprised if they didn't wake up in four or five hours."

"Now it makes sense why only the four of us and the guards on the first shift were unaffected," Hanabi frowned. "Men and their alcohol…" Hanabi grumbled, pursing her lips.

Hinata could almost hear the angry rant echoing inside Hanabi's head. She pitied the soldiers who were going to be on the receiving end of Hanabi's lecture on the evils of alcohol tomorrow.

"Are you feeling better?" Neji asked Hinata in a gentle tone, sitting down next to the sisters on the tatami.

"Yes, thank you for carrying me over here."

"Ah, I see that you're cleaning Hanabi's wound. Do you need any help?" Hinata had almost forgotten about what she was doing before Hanabi's revelation of her future mission to the Cloud. She noticed that she was still holding her little sister's arm. The towel that she was using to pat off the blood was now stiff and stained light brown in several spots. She internally scolded herself for being so out of it and not taking proper care of the sister who had risked her life for her.

"I probably need some wrappings," Hinata said haltingly. "I would've also liked to put some poultice on the welt… But all of the jars that I brought with me are in my room." She had prepared several herbal creams for various medicinal uses before she left the palace. She had learned how to make the poultices from her mother and had practiced for years in the hospitals. If Hinata hadn't been such a humble person, she would boast about their effectiveness. The residents of the city would often seek her out to ask for the jars of cream for various ailments, including sprains, colds, headaches, and flesh wounds. The princess was afraid that the ingredients required for the poultices wouldn't be readily available in her new home so she had prepared a supply ahead of time in case of emergency.

"I have some gauze here." Neji rummaged through his bags and presented Hinata with a white roll of cloth. Hinata nodded in thanks and expertly wrapped the roll several times along Hanabi's arm, careful not to cut off circulation. With a hard pinch with her nail and a forceful _Shhiiik,_ Hinata ripped the roll and tied the cloth off. Hanabi bent and twisted her arm a few times, testing out the tightness of the wrappings and making sure that her range of motion wouldn't be too limited.

"What are we going to tell Danzo?" Kurenai asked when they were done treating Hanabi.

"I'll write a report." Hanabi offered. "I'm sure they're going to send a proper investigation party from the capital when the news reaches them."

"We need to make sure that Mayor Chohan and the Sable City soldiers don't tamper with the evidence until then." Neji had developed a healthy paranoia of the Sable City leadership after several years of dealing with shady monetary matters and complaints of fraudulent cover-ups on the council. Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"I have an old friend here who may be able to help if we need someone to secure the body and the rest of the drugged sake bottles," Kurenai offered, biting her bottom lip. Hinata thought that she seemed a bit nervous and reluctant.

"Umm…" Hinata interrupted, "Should we tell the Stone Kingdom too? About what generally happened last night?" That sent Neji, Hanabi, and Kurenai into a thoughtful silence.

"No," Hanabi decided. "We can't let them know about this. They'll perceive it as a weakness."

That made sense. They didn't know whether the Stone Kingdom was trustworthy, after all. Who knew if they were going to take advantage of any potential breaches in defenses to attack?

"I think we need to tell them," Kurenai rebutted. "The men are all going to wake up sick tomorrow with splitting headaches. When the Stone Kingdom party sees them in that condition, they're either going to assume that our soldiers are all weaklings who can't handle a few days of travel—" At that, Hanabi bristled. "—Or they're going to come to the conclusion that we were attacked on the way."

Hanabi still looked unconvinced, which led Kurenai to continue explaining her reasoning.

"In the first scenario, they may think that our kingdom has gotten weak since the shift in power and explore the possibility of continuing the border skirmishes." Kurenai paused to let her words sink in. "In the second scenario, we'll either have to tell them about what happened, or lie. And both of those options weakens their trust in us and in the integrity of our alliance." Neji started nodding slowly, coming to the same conclusions.

 _So this is what it means to be stuck between a rock and a hard place…_

Hanabi sighed in exasperation. "Once Izumo gets back, I'll have him get us another hawk."

"It seems that people are targeting the Hyuuga family left and right these days…" Kurenai said slowly. "They would have succeeded again this time if it wasn't for Hanabi, Izumo, and Kotetsu."

Hinata shifted uncomfortably, her near-death experience resting in a solid knot in the pit of her stomach.

"I'll go see if my friend would be willing to help." Kurenai pushed herself up.

"Wait, you're going at _this_ hour?" Neji looked bewildered. Any normal person would be asleep so late into the night and would probably throw a fit at getting woken up.

"He's an old friend." Kurenai repeated mysteriously, a nostalgic smile gracing her noble features. "And the sooner we secure the evidence, the better."

"Just who is this person?" Neji asked. At this point, Hinata was a bit curious too. She exchanged a look with Hanabi.

"He's just a retired veteran that I know from my days with the eastern scout cavalry." Kurenai replied nonchalantly.

Now this was interesting. Few people knew that the ladylike Yuhi daughter had ever been in the military. It was a more rebellious period of her life that had ended when a mysterious incident occurred during a skirmish with the Stone Kingdom at their northernmost border eight winters ago. Three entire squads of scouts had disappeared into the forests. The rumors said that when reinforcements finally came, they discovered chunks and pieces of the bodies of the lost soldiers strewn across the roads and upon the branches of the pine trees. Kurenai had been the sole survivor, trekking southward through enemy forests in the dead of winter for several weeks until she reached the safety of Koi Village.

People speculated that it had been the work of a monstrous bear, but Hinata doubted that there would be such intrigue surrounding the circumstances of the attack if that were truly the case. She didn't know how much of the story had gotten blown up by gossiping countrymen, but she knew that Kurenai refused to speak whenever anyone tried to ask her for more details on the matter. The Yuhi clan head had covered up his daughter's involvement, erasing public memory of her service with the eastern troops and forbidding her from communicating with any of her old military colleagues ever again.

"Let me come with you, at least." Neji tried again. "As we saw from the attack earlier tonight, this city's not safe."

"You need to stay with Princess Hinata and Hanabi since we're low on reliable soldiers right now. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself just fine." Kurenai got up and walked to the door.

"We'll come look for you if you're not back in half an hour." Hanabi called out after her.

"I'll be quick…" Kurenai closed the shoji door behind her. Hinata had never seen the usually composed woman so skittish in her entire life.

 _It looks like we won't be getting much more rest tonight._

* * *

It was nearly noon when they left the inn, as it took the drugged soldiers several hours to wake up and then several more to stop vomiting. Unlike last night, the atmosphere was sullen and tense in the city. Sable City soldiers patrolled the streets in squads—Hinata could see a pair at nearly every corner and in every alley. The few citizens who were out and about looked weary and scared, walking quickly with their heads down on the quiet streets and taking care to avoid the central road that Hinata's party was using to exit the city. The overcast sky did little to warm the chill of winter.

The investigations into the attempted assassination had been handed off to the local officials. When the innkeepers woke up from their drugged slumber, confused and sick to their stomachs, they were dragged off by Chohan's soldiers to the prison for questioning. They sobbed, claiming their innocence, and begged to be let go, but to no avail. Hinata hoped that they would be released soon. The couple had seemed kind and she doubted that they had anything to do with what had happened last night.

 _I just hope that Chohan doesn't try to make them scapegoats to cover up his own incompetence…_

Kotetsu had returned with the mayor and an entire company of soldiers an hour after he had set out. At that point, Hanabi had been growing more and more impatient with each passing minute. She had finished her portion of the report to Danzo and was waiting for word from Chohan's men to add follow-up information for any investigative parties that the capital would dispatch. Neji and Hinata had already helped her pen and send a letter to the Stone Kingdom:

 _For the Attention of the Royal Escort to the Wedding Entourage of the Leaf Kingdom:_

 _As per our previous correspondence, we have safely arrived at Sable City tonight. We still plan to reach the border tomorrow. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we must delay our arrival from tomorrow noon to tomorrow evening._

 _Our party was attacked by a lone assassin from the Cloud Kingdom last night. Please rest assured that Princess Hinata was not harmed in any way. The perpetrator was taken care of without any casualties._

 _We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The Sable City officials and officers from the Imperial Dragon City will be taking over the investigations to hold the ones responsible for this crime accountable._

 _Best Regards,_

 _Princess Hanabi Hyuuga, Lady Kurenai Yuhi, Councilor Neji Hyuuga,_

 _And Crown Princess Hinata Hyuuga_

When they learned that Kotetsu had found the mayor at a gambling house in the red light district in a highly inebriated state, Hanabi blew up in anger at the man's irresponsible actions. She threatened all sorts of terrible things upon his disoriented person for allowing an enemy assassin to infiltrate his city during such a crucial trip for the royal family and the kingdom. The mayor now jumped every time Hanabi addressed him. If the circumstances weren't so dire, Hinata would have found it hilarious that her thirteen-year-old sister was able to intimidate a fully-grown man.

At least Kurenai's evasive contact had come through. The woman had returned just a minute or two after her half-hour time limit with the good news. To everyone's pleasant surprise, her friend had already taken care of the body and the sake and put them in a hidden barn an hour south of the walls of Sable City. The belladonna poison would have still been in effect when they moved the body, which implied that the veteran had some highly specialized skills in poison neutralization. This encouraged Hanabi to prod further into his identity, but to no avail. Kurenai was still tight-lipped and secretive. Grudgingly accepting her defeat, Hanabi accepted Kurenai's help in drawing a map of the storage location to include inside her letter to Danzo. Since the weather was already frigid and winter was fast coming, they didn't need to be too concerned about rotting or decomposition if the capital sent troops within the next week or so.

Hinata was just glad that nobody else would be put in danger by the poison and the drugs. It was her fault that the deadly man had entered the city and she prayed that no more innocent people would be harmed.

When Chohan noticed the lack of a dead body and asked about the evidence, Neji had simply pointed to the blood splat on the ground outside of the inn and said, _"Start there."_ Kurenai explained that the evidence had been secured to prevent potential spies or possible follow-up soldiers from the Cloud Kingdom from tampering with or destroying it. When Chohan tried to weedle more information out of Hinata, Hanabi had threatened him again, scaring him off.

Hinata yawned and rubbed her puffy eyes. She hadn't slept a wink last night after those precious two hours or so and knew that she looked like a wreck. In fact, everybody looked worse for the wear. Neji was riding next to Hinata while Kurenai had joined their traveling formation with Hanabi at the front. Hinata glanced at her cousin sympathetically. He looked rather irate with heavy bags under his eyes. At least they weren't miserably sick like the soldiers who were drugged last night… Some of the foot soldiers seemed to be leaning on their pikes in exhaustion and using them as walking sticks. Hinata winced.

 _Oh, the Stone Kingdom is definitely not going to be impressed when they see us…_

The wedding party exited the eastern gates of Sable City without fanfare, the large, heavy doors closing behind them and locking them out with two resounding thumps of iron on wood. Hinata turned her head backwards and looked past the other carriages and soldiers. She wanted to catch her final glimpse of civilization before they reached the borders. The tan wooden walls protecting the city were bathed in gray since the sun was covered by heavy clouds. Hinata could see the brown roofs of a few buildings barely rising above the walls. Further off into the foggy distance, she could see a handful of taller buildings like the inn and the mayor's residence.

 _I wonder what the villages and cities look like in the Stone. Are they much different?_

Just as she was about to turn back towards the front, Hinata spotted a masked man with a black eyepatch at the edges of the forest next to the road. Although he had a shock of silver hair and a terribly slumped posture, Hinata thought that he may have been younger than he looked. Hinata tried to squint and peer at him more closely, but when she blinked, he had disappeared.

 _He was probably a villager who was just curious about the wedding party._

Hinata turned back around and stared at the road ahead, suppressing another yawn. The steady rocking of the four horses dragging her carriage was slow and rhythmic, keeping pace with the exhausted soldiers. Hinata looked over at Neji, hoping for some conversation to keep her awake, but saw that he was already asleep in his saddle. His stiff frame was drooped over at his neck and his mouth had fallen slightly open. Luckily, he was still holding on to the reins of his horse tightly.

Hinata yawned again. This time she was too tired to resist the weight of her own eyelids dropping, as if they were being dragged down by a strong, magnetic force.

* * *

When Hinata woke, the world was shaking. She opened her eyes and saw that Sable Forest was now pitch black, its eerie darkness broken by musky, orange blotches of firelight. Every couple of foot soldiers was holding a large wooden torch, throwing dancing, stretching shadows into the depths of the woods with each step they took. She heard the hoot of an owl and scampering noises of night creatures rustling in the underbrush.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," Hinata croaked, groggily rubbing gunk out of her eyes and batting Hanabi's arm off of her shoulder. Thankfully the shaking stopped after that. She rubbed her cold-numbed face and slapped her cheeks gently to wake herself up. Hinata slowly pushed herself upright from leaning against the side of her carriage and immediately regretted it as her stiff neck and back sent a blow of pain to her head.

 _I shouldn't have slept in that position for so long…_

"We're clearing the forest soon! You can almost see the border!" Hanabi announced excitedly.

Hinata's mouth felt dry and bitter for more reasons than one. She knew that her breath must've smelled gross and slowly bent her achy back to grab a waterskin from under her seat. She took a small sip, frowning at the prickly sensation of the liquid on her rough throat. Hinata turned to look over to her other side for Neji but only saw the line of marching soldiers.

 _He probably woke up a while ago and went to ride in the back._

"What time is it? How long was I asleep?"

"It's around six in the evening. You better freshen up quickly before we get there!" Hanabi galloped ahead towards the edge of the forest. Despite their equal lack of rest last night and the extra nap that Hinata had taken, her little sister looked as fresh and chipper as ever, her eyes lit bright by the flickering torchlight.

 _Oh man, I'm getting old._

Hinata stretched and rubbed her eyes. She could make out where the treeline ended ahead by the increase in brightness as the cover of dense foliage gave away to an open field.

They broke through the cover of the forest and, all of a sudden, Hinata could see the clear, evening sky. The clouds that hung densely overhead at noon had now been cast away, revealing a scattering of beautiful stars that filled every nook and cranny above the horizon, their glory unimpaired for the single night of the month when the moon turned its back to the earth. It looked like the gods had haphazardly spilled a bag of salt on the navy canvas and had forgotten to clean up the grains. Hinata sighed in appreciation, her eyes glued to the dazzling vista. The Milky Way was a gossamer web of light in the heavens, bridging between the western edges of Hinata's childhood home and onwards into the mountainous folds of the Stone Kingdom. A gentle wind blew through the grasslands in a calming lullaby, rustling the dry stalks of reeds and rattling the loose brown leaves of low bushes.

Hinata was slowly brought back from her trance by a line of white and yellow light creeping up at the edges of her vision. She leaned her head out of the carriage and looked forwards. A great gray wall stretched north and south as far as her eye could see. It was evenly notched with watch towers along its length, each pale post topped with a raging bonfire that Hinata estimated rose taller than her full height. She could see the gate at the end of the road—a mere dark speck marring the even gray expanse.

As they approached, step by step, the stone wall grew bigger and soon began to loom overhead. It was a wonder that King Sasuke had managed to construct this monstrosity in just a year. Even though the Stone Kingdom had some of the best stoneworkers and blacksmiths, as per their namesake, it was over a hundred and fifty miles long from end to end! Hinata quickly ran her fingers through her hair, easily straightening out any tangles and knots from the hours of travel. Unfortunately, a bump on the side of her head from napping on the walls of the carriage refused to uncrinkle.

A lump rose in Hinata's throat as she tried to swallow down her trepidation. Her heart pounded faster and faster with each step that they took towards the border. Hinata's palms were starting to sweat. She took another sip of water to calm herself down. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the cap of the waterskin.

 _Clack! –Clack-clack!_

She internally berated herself when the cap dropped to the floor of the carriage and bounced onto the road.

 _I'm so clumsy and useless. What if he doesn't like me?_

They came to a stop in front of the gate. The dark timber and iron beams of the portcullis were nailed together in an imposing lattice grille, seemingly tough and impenetrable. Hinata heard yelling up ahead, probably from Hanabi asking for entrance and the Stone Kingdom ascertaining that they were indeed the wedding entourage. With a reverberating groan of metal grinding against metal, the heavy portcullis slowly opened, the gap between the metal spikes at the bottom of the gate and the stone floor widening haltingly in inconsistent squeaks and chirps.

 _Clunk—Shiiinng… Creaaaak—Clang!_

When the portcullis was fully raised, locked in place with a loud click, their party entered the tunnel in the wall. Hinata looked up to see the gleaming spikes of the gates, cut into sharp, glimmering pyramids of iron. The gate quickly shut behind them when the last of their rear cavalry had filed in. They were plunged into darkness save for a few torches nailed high above and the light held by the foot soldiers. The size of this structure was impressive—its ceiling stretched to unknown heights past the reaches of the orange flames and its width broad enough to fit several carriages.

Hinata wondered how the people of the Stone Kingdom got up so high to light the torches… _Are there murder holes in the walls? Soldiers waiting to attack? Archers poised to fire from arrow slits?_

 _What if this is a trap?! And we're just offering our lives up?_

Hinata's heart raced as they came to a stop in the enclave. A guard coughed in the silence, the hacking, rasping sound echoing throughout the large, hollow chamber.

"I hope you don't mind, but we're going to have to check every cart for security," a bored voice droned faintly from the front. The man sounded like he was tired and that he thought they were too bothersome to deal with. Hinata assumed that Hanabi gave her consent since, not soon afterwards, she could hear rummaging as the canvases covering the cargo carts were unstrapped and pulled back. Hinata fixed her posture and straightened her back when she heard the footsteps coming closer.

"Ah, excuse me, your highness," a tall soldier bent slightly at the waist in a bow as he stopped next to her cart. He had a dark beard and a ruddy complexion. "May we inspect your carriage?" He offered his hand, a wide, comforting smile on his face.

"Of course," Hinata responded with a slight smile, pulling at every ounce of dignity and composure she had to look like the confident royal she was supposed to be and not the scared, stuttering girl she felt like inside. She took his proffered hand, noticing that it was rough and calloused like those of her sister, and stepped out of her carriage, being extra careful with her steps so that she wouldn't trip or stumble.

A squad of Stone Kingdom soldiers were gathered in front of the carriage, backs stiff and their hands resting on sheathed swords at their belts. Unlike the Leaf Kingdom army, which preferred longer-ranged weapons like bows, pikes, and spears, the Stone army mainly used close-ranged swords and maces. As such, Stone Kingdom soldiers were fitted with heavy armor. Hinata looked ahead to see a larger group of soldiers at the front near Hanabi. The other end of the tunnel seemed to have closed double doors with a fortified gate as well. The wall was an impressive defensive stronghold and the Stone Kingdom military seemed to take their security very seriously.

 _That's good. Assassins from the Cloud probably can't breach these walls too easily._

"I'm Asuma of the Sarutobi clan," the man who helped her out bowed again as two soldiers climbed into her carriage to check the baggage by hand, "I serve as the captain of the royal guard. I imagine that we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future."

Hinata inclined her head slightly, as befitting her position when addressing a subject. "Nice to meet you." If the man noticed that her voice quavered a little at the end, he didn't make any indication. The Sarutobi clan was well known for both their prowess in war and their close ties with the Uchiha clan. Hiruzen Sarutobi had been the most infamous general of the Stone Kingdom army. It was said that any opponent who faced him in a head-on battle was sure to lose. The Leaf Kingdom had lost thousands of lives to his men during the years of skirmishes and battles over territory. Unfortunately, or _fortunately_ for the Stone's enemies, Hiruzen had passed away of a sudden illness about a decade ago. The captain of the royal guard was probably his son or nephew. The man looked to be not much older than Kurenai.

 _He must have quite the number of accomplishments under his belt to have achieved such a high position at his age._

The two Stone Kingdom soldiers finished quickly and efficiently. With a nod to their captain, they joined the rest of their squad and moved on to check the carriages behind Hinata's. Asuma helped the princess back into her seat. Once she was settled, Hinata said a soft " _thank you"_ and got another smile in return as the captain marched back towards his men.

While they waited for the guards to finish, Hinata looked around at the cavern once more.

 _It must have taken thousands of tons of stone to build this whole wall! There's probably more stone in this than there is in the entire Leaf Kingdom!_

Hinata's home kingdom was blessed with forests and loamy soil perfect for crops, but aside from a few ore and jewel mines in the northern Snow Hare Mountains, lacked the rock formations necessary for harvesting stone. That was why most of their buildings were made of wood—expensive stone was reserved for kilns and smithies. While the Leaf Kingdom was flat and essentially in the shape of a large gibbous moon, their eastern neighbor was a thin, waxing crescent with very rough terrain. The nation was only thirty miles at its widest. Aside from a small stretch of grassland at the border with Sable Forest, the entirety of the Stone Kingdom's length was mottled by a rocky mountain range dotted with lakes. It was no wonder that they had so much of the resource.

The Stone shared a short border with the Sand Kingdom to its south and a slightly longer border with the Cloud to its west. To its east was the ocean, their steep, sheer cliffs colder and rockier than the shores of the Tide Kingdom, which limited the number of harbors and ports they could build. However, the Stone Kingdom had a mighty navy that was known to be on-par with the Tide.

"All clear!" Asuma yelled from the back.

 _Ca-chunk…Creeeaaaak_

 _Chiiinnng—chrrrick…Clang!_

The grinding of metal as the front gate was lifted reverberated even more horrifyingly in the tunnel than it had outside, hurting Hinata's ears and grating her already uneasy nerves. Once the portcullis was open, the large wooden doors on the other side of the wall swung outwards, allowing the group to pass through the tunnel at last.

The military outpost on this side of the wall had several barracks, stables, a hawkery, and a small, plain castle with a black tapered roof. Not far past the expansive reaches of the buildings, the mountain range of the Stone Kingdom rose in lumpy, gray peaks mottled with the fuzzy texture of forests. Although these mountains were neither as tall nor as wide as the Snow Hare Mountains of the Leaf Kingdom, which incidentally made these lands much more hospitable, Hinata was still deeply affected by their majesty.

The clip-clop of hooves approached Hinata's carriage. She looked out to see a man with sharp eyes and a spiky, black ponytail slouching atop a brown horse.

"Hey, I'm Shikamaru Nara," The man droned in a bored tone. "Uh, I'm the general you guys have been writing to." He scratched his head. Hinata couldn't tell if he was feeling annoyed or awkward. "Sasuke couldn't wait here all day 'cuz he had some stuff to do back at the capital. So, uh, I guess I'll show you guys to the castle and take you to him tomorrow."

 _Phew_ , Hinata internally sighed in relief, _I'm glad I'll have time to rest and freshen up before I meet him for the first time._ First impressions were important, after all.

" _Hey!_ " Someone yelled in the distance. Hinata saw what looked like a black and white blur speeding towards them. As it drew closer, she could make out a man riding low upon a white horse, his back hunched to decrease the wind resistance and optimize for speed.

"Ahhhh, how troublesome…" Shikamaru looked up to the sky, definitely in annoyance this time, but Hinata noticed that he made no motion to halt the man.

 _I guess he's one of theirs? A straggler, perhaps?_

When the stranger rode close enough for Hinata to start seeing the details of his appearance, she could immediately tell that he was enrobed in the armor of a noble—this was no soldier who had lagged behind.

The man wore a high-collared black shirt and slightly loose pants. A shiny black carapace accented in red and gold covered his chest and flared out into small spikes at his shoulders. His trim waist was cinched by a gold belt, upon which two pieces of red leather armor hung along his sides to his knees. Maroon arm and knee guards decorated with curling gold flames protected his joints, tapering into black leather gloves and pointy boots. A thin, long sword in a black sheath hung from his right side, clattering rhythmically back and forth with the galloping of his steed.

The man stopped in front of Hinata's carriage, firmly pulling on the reins of his horse and digging his boots into the stirrups. When he rose to his full height, the tight, solid lines of his form cut an imposing figure.

His face was more pretty than handsome with his porcelain skin, delicate nose, and pointed chin framed by black spikes of hair. Both man and horse were covered with a thin sheen of sweat. The stranger raised one finely tapered eyebrow when his almond eyes fell upon her. Hinata stared back into the pits of his coal-black eyes, entranced by his ethereal beauty.

After a few long seconds, he started to scowl. Hinata blinked and looked away, embarrassed to have been caught so rudely gawking. She shifted in her seat and swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny. From his displeased expression, she was sure that she had failed _something_ and she deeply wished that she could shrink and hide into her voluminous robes.

"From your lack of guards, I assume you didn't tell anyone you were coming?" _So he was important enough to warrant guards…_

"Of course I did!" The noble sniffed, indignant. "But they couldn't keep up."

"How troublesome…" Shikamaru repeated. He then grumbled something about irresponsible, spoiled brats and having to always wipe said brat's ass…

 _Shikamaru addresses him so casually. Is he a lord's son? Another general?_

 _No… His clothes are much fancier than Shikamaru's and Asuma's…_

"Hey." Having caught his breath, the man was now speaking in a low, rich tone. It was quite calming actually, in great contrast with his facial expressions.

"Hey! You!"

Hinata snapped her head up to meet the noble's eyes again. _He's talking to me?_

This time, his eyebrows had dropped by a millimeter or so and his lips had a slight frown at their corners, transforming his expression from displeasure to irritation. Hinata could tell that this was a man who was used to getting his way. He radiated charisma and sheer power. He was definitely not happy about being ignored. In fact, it looked like he would throw a temper tantrum if Hinata didn't acknowledge him soon.

"H-Hello?"

"Hello," the man said drily, almost sarcastically. His right eye gave a minute twitch. After another beat of silence, he sighed and rubbed his temple.

"So I guess _you're_ Princess Hinata Hyuuga?" He peered down at her with a look that Hinata easily recognized from years of wilting under the eyes of the Leaf Kingdom council—contempt and disappointment.

Hinata nodded, not daring to break the eye contact. This man had an intimidating presence and was starting to make her feel anxious. She gripped the outer layer of her robes with her clammy hands.

"Do you know who I am?" The expectant gaze that bore down from the ridge of his regal nose indicated that he expected her to answer in the affirmative.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, mumbling something about pompous antics.

Hinata shook her head. _Am I supposed to?_ "Have we met?"

"I'm King Sasuke Uchiha." Hinata froze in shock.

 _Didn't Shikamaru say that the King went back to the capital? Why is he here?_

She knew that she was supposed to say something polite, but Sasuke's heavy stare pinned her to her seat like a hawk eyeing its helpless prey. Her tongue was paralyzed and her throat felt like it was getting tighter by the second. Her entire body felt like it had been petrified to stone, with the exception of her heart, which pounded like it was trying to escape her ribcage.

Sasuke's scowl deepened as seconds of silence ticked by without any signs of recognition from the girl. He spoke slowly, as if explaining a difficult concept to a small child. "You know, as in the man you're here to marry?"

It was all Hinata could manage to finally choke out a quiet "Ahh…"

* * *

Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :) Let me know what you thought of the fight scene at the beginning (not too sure how realistic or exciting it was) or just the chapter in general. Review, please! I'm excited to show you guys more of Sasuke next chapter!

 **Disclaimers on scientific accuracy:**

Belladonna is another name for nightshade, which is an extremely poisonous plant. One of the treatments for it is activated charcoal (different from regular charcoal!)

The treatment that the poisoned Hinata was given in this story is not meant to be medically accurate. I am not a medical professional and lots of liberties were taken in the writing of this fic. If you or anyone you know get poisoned, you should call an ambulance immediately since we're not in feudal Asia (hoorah for 21st century technology!)

As always, please, please, please review/PM! I love feedback!

Also, fav/follow for immediate updates!


	4. Seven Funerals and a Wedding

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and am making no money from this work. This applies to the entire story.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Seven Funerals and a Wedding**

 **By Piplop**

* * *

 _Autumn_

Despite the thousand other administrative matters that had to be attended to and considered to keep the Stone Kingdom running, Sasuke's thoughts kept jumping back to his new bride. With a sigh, he leaned back on Amaterasu as her hooves clopped to the leisurely pace of the party traveling back to the Stone Kingdom capital.

He had rushed to the outpost after his exhausting meeting with the elders yesterday afternoon, pushing Amaterasu hard to try and make it before the Leaf Kingdom party arrived. It was common courtesy for the groom to at least be present and greet his betrothed, and although the entourage's unforeseen delay probably excused him from that task, Sasuke didn't want to give those foreigners any ammunition for complaints…

If Sasuke was to be completely honest with himself, another reason that he had rushed to the border was to see the princess. He had been a little anxious since, out of all the prospective marriage partners the elders had proposed, this was the only one that he had never met face-to-face. Although the Stone and the Leaf had their non-aggression pact, the two countries were still naturally untrusting of each other after decades of bloodshed. Without a formal, binding connection, traveling into either party's territory could prove to be dangerous. Most of the other women that had been picked by the council over the past year had been terrible, causing Sasuke to be more than a little worried about his bride…

The elders first brought him Lady Chiyo… _Why would I marry someone from a lordship famed for eating contests and nothing else?! Are the elders trying to make the Uchiha clan into a joke?_

Shion was even worse. He knew that people sometimes considered him bratty and selfish, but the spoiled priestess took it to another level.

And sure, Princess Koyuki of the Tide had been generally quiet and not bad to look at, but she treated everyone with the same cold indifference. The royal family was already viewed as pompous and uncaring. He didn't need his queen to further that impression.

 _Temari had been fine… Why aren't more noblewomen like her?_ Sasuke had actually gotten along with the tough Sand Kingdom princess, but it didn't work out for obvious reasons.

And this one… This one appeared to be…

Sasuke ground his teeth in frustration.

He had heard that Princess Hinata Hyuuga was a delicate beauty, greatly beloved and treasured by the people of the Leaf Kingdom. She had apparently been too precious to marry off before, as every single offer of marriage had been straight-up rejected without the Leaf King and Queen even giving the suitors a chance at a meeting. Sasuke had thought that she would be a radiant, precious jewel. However, the girl that he saw in the silver carriage last night had been a sore disappointment.

She was _delicate_ looking, that's for sure—but with her pasty skin and bloodshot eyes, it looked more like she was about to pass out from exhaustion at any second! At this rate, he would lose Red Fox Castle to the Leaf Kingdom without even touching a single hair on her head.

 _I should've fought harder to take that clause out of the contract…_

The girl had seemed to shrink in her chair when she saw him. She had already been swimming in her overly ornate robes and her impression of a frozen deer in the headlamps made her look even smaller.

Instead of the regal princess that Sasuke had expected, he got a stammering field mouse.

Sasuke's frowned at the memory of her pathetic stutter. His grip on Amaterasu's reigns tightened, wrapping pale, callused skin tightly around the boney outlines of his knuckles.

 _I should've known… They probably wanted someone weak like her that they could easily manipulate. It's all about control with them. Power. Those old farts were lying to get me married off!_

He could feel a headache growing. On top of all the drama with cleaning out the corrupt members of the council of elders, he had to deal with his impending marriage to the girl. He had to get her on his side, under his control, and away from the clutches of the people seeking to topple his reign and take the throne. As a royal from the Leaf Kingdom and the future Queen of the Stone Kingdom, she would be able to exert significant influence in the coming years. Not to mention that, as his wife, she would have unlimited access to his personal chambers…

Sasuke winced. It wouldn't do to have the girl leaking his documents or poisoning him in his sleep.

 _At least she doesn't seem like the loud, blabber-mouthy type or the power-hungry type._

This was a political marriage anyway. The princess didn't need to be beautiful, smart, or have any special talents. All he needed was her heritage and the connections that came with it.

Before he saw the girl, Sasuke had wondered if Hyuuga eyes were really as pale as rumored. That was the one thing that hadn't disappointed him. When she had first looked at him with her wide, moonlit orbs, his heart had fluttered for a brief second in surprise. Anyone could see that she was a Hyuuga, and that was essentially all that mattered. Now, all she needed to do was to keep her mouth shut, not embarrass him in public, and pop out some kids in a few years. Sasuke shuddered and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

 _No need to think about that for a while._

His musings were interrupted by Amaterasu's quiet nicker. She turned her head in a playful toss and pricked her ears towards Sasuke.

"There, there," Sasuke leaned down to whisper into her ear as he stroked her white mane, tinted yellow with the dust of travel. Amaterasu was the fastest steed in the land, but she was always hungry for attention.

"You've worked hard these two days. I'll be sure to reward you with a nice bath and some sugar cubes when we get back." Amaterasu whinnied in pleasure.

Sasuke took a breath of the fresh mountain air and tried to wish away the throbbing headache at his temples. They had set out north from the outpost towards the Stone Kingdom capital early this morning and were currently following the thin stretch of grassland near the wall. Unfortunately, the line of bulky carts prevented their party from taking the direct route to the city through the mountains. Sasuke had only needed two hours last night to get from the capital to the outpost, but it looked like the slow entourage would need nearly a whole day.

He scowled at the lost time.

 _They better not release that bastard Mizuki while I'm away…_

Sasuke shifted in his saddle with impatience. The swells of mountains and blades of grass were passing by with painstaking slowness. He itched to bring Amaterasu to a gallop and race back to the capital, but that would be viewed as an insult to the Leaf Princess.

His pounding headache intensified as he worried about the traitorous elder rotting in his prison cell and the ones who were still running free. He sighed and brought a hand up to massage his throbbing temple.

 _There's nothing I can do about any of that right now when I'm not even there…_

Sasuke pushed the whispers of concern to the back of his head and took in his surroundings once again to try and calm his mind. The soldiers of the Leaf and Stone marched monotonously forward. The carriages and carts were far behind him and he could see the younger Hyuuga princess several horses ahead, leading the party alongside Asuma.

It was a wonder how different the two Hyuuga siblings were. Sasuke hadn't exchanged a single word with the younger princess, but she reminded him more of that diplomat Neji Hyuuga with her stiff posture and intense glare. Sasuke could tell that she was a fierce warrior and would be a strong ally someday— _or a troublesome enemy, if things go sour with her sister…_

Sasuke sighed, his headache returning with a vengeance.

 _It'll do me no good to think myself into a migraine._

His eyes fell upon the great wall to their left.

His wall was magnificent. Impenetrable. The pride of his (admittedly short) time as king. Sasuke's lips turned up slightly in a proud smirk. When the terrible internal strife had ended with Itachi murdering their parents and fleeing the country, Sasuke had immediately commissioned the barrier to quash any further rumors of the Stone Kingdom declaring war. It had taken weeks of arm-twisting to get the project approved by the council of elders. He even had to bribe Tenten with hefty new funds for her workshop to get the talented stoneworker turned blacksmith to agree to design and oversee the ambitious project.

It was both a defensive masterpiece and a symbol: With their borders physically and metaphorically set in stone, the people would no longer feed the bloodthirsty rallies for expansion. The barrier was only possible due to the powerful innovations of the past few years, secret technologies kept hidden to even the Stone Kingdom's own citizens. It was immovable, unscalable, and indestructible—at least with the weapons that _other_ kingdoms had at their disposal…

 _Clip-clop. Clop-clip-clop—_

Sasuke turned to glance behind him when he heard the approaching trot of a horse.

"Hey Sasuke, sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, better than I've gotten in the past week at least."

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, pulling his brown steed up to keep pace with Sasuke. This week had been a bureaucratic nightmare for everyone with all the hectic work that had gone into proving Mizuki's betrayal after they finally caught him red-handed. While the fruits of their entire year of surveillance were achingly sweet, they had spent the past few nights pouring over hundreds of scrolls of laws to make sure that the prosecutors came to the right ruling. Chouza, head of the Akimichi clan, had even set up soldiers to catch anyone who attempted to bribe the judge or jurors.

"By the way," Sasuke leaned towards Shikamaru, lowering his voice to an angry whisper, "you should treat me with more respect! Call me _Your Majesty_ or something. I don't want the Leaf Kingdom to think that I'm someone they can just badmouth and get away with!"

Shikamaru raised a brow. Sasuke schooled his expression into a scowl. It had always been just "Sasuke" or "Brat Prince" with Shikamaru, and the people in the royal palace were used to it after twenty years of their friendship and bickering. Even after his unforeseen ascension to the throne and Shikamaru's promotion to General, their long-forged dynamic had stayed the same.

"As you wish, _my_ _King_." Shikamaru replied, his monotone voice tinged with the slightest hint of sarcasm that others wouldn't have been able to catch. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. It sounded more like a mockery than an expression of fealty coming from his old friend.

Sasuke sighed. He could always count on the lazy Nara with his lack of respect for authority to bring him back to earth when he got a bit too full of himself.

"On the topic of the Leaf Kingdom…" Shikamaru scratched his head. He always did that when he felt awkward. "Don't you think you were a bit harsh towards the princess last night?"

Sasuke seethed. "The elders set me up!"

He looked around, noticing the mixed company of Leaf soldiers they were in, and started hissing through his teeth. It wouldn't do for the Hyuugas to hear this.

"They tricked me into marrying that pushover of a princess because they knew she'd be a complete and utter liability!"

He knew there must have been a reason they had twisted his arm into rushing the contract. Sure, the fall of the Leaf Kingdom's despots had probably been a trying time for the Hyuuga clan and it was a good opportunity for the Stone Kingdom to snap up those connections, but they must've had enough time to allow a face-to-face visit at least? Even if it wasn't secure for the princess to travel to the capital to see him, they could've met at the border, where both sides could more-or-less count on their safety.

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm sure I don't have to explain this to you but… You know, she's probably in the same boat as you. She has nothing to do with those guys." Shikamaru paused to let his words sink in.

Sasuke's frown only deepened. Shikamaru sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"…You're not usually like this—letting your work and your emotions influence your judgment."

Sasuke looked down at Amaterasu's muscular neck and fell quiet, sorting out his thoughts. He had felt a tiny twinge of guilt at his harsh treatment of the princess last night. While he hadn't been _that_ rude per se…

 _Itachi would never have treated her like that._

His older brother would've been the perfect portrait of a chivalrous gentleman; smiling, making small talk, and effortlessly charming his way into her heart. Sasuke tightened his jaw. He was no good at all that frivolity—never had been and still isn't. He would always be a step beneath his superior older brother.

After a minute of heavy silence, Shikamaru sighed again. Sasuke could almost hear the implied " _how troublesome"_.

"You were tired, I was tired—we were all tired and angry after all that ruckus with Elder Mizuki. The Leaf princess got attacked two nights ago so she probably wasn't in top shape either… Besides, you've only said a few sentences to her. From what I've heard, she's actually supposed to be a nice girl." Shikamaru shot a glance behind them. "…Nothing like her cousin."

"Yeah… I know," Sasuke grudgingly ceded.

Shikamaru was right. He had let his rage at the elders' trickery and his displeasure at the forced marriage get to him. He had signed the contract with the honor of the Uchiha clan on the line, and now he needed to accept the consequences.

"Try to get along… Your life may depend on it, ya know…"

Sasuke dipped his chin in a short, curt nod.

 _If I want her support, I'll have to try and make amends later._

But no matter how unfair he may have been to her last night or how nice the Hyuuga may be, having someone so timid by his side would not do…

"…So, ahem," Shikamaru coughed into his fist. "Regarding the stand allocation for the New Year's festival…"

Sasuke's head snapped up and his eyes immediately shot to Shikamaru. They exchanged a quick glance. That was the code word for their private investigation into the elders.

Itachi's betrayal had revealed the shockingly deep reaches of corruption in the Stone Kingdom and, more than a year later, they were still digging for the root of it all. Although Sasuke didn't know if he would ever be able to forgive his banished brother, he had come to terms with the evils that had been unveiled and the arduous task of cleaning up the rot that had been handed down to him.

"You have an update for me?"

"Yessir. Got a hawk from Elder Chouza earlier this morning." Shikamaru visibly relaxed on his horse, careful to look nonchalant and bored to the outside observer. "All of the budgeting and the requested inventory accounting is essentially complete. We'll only be expecting minor changes from the vendors in the next three months until the festival."

 _Good, I was counting on Inoichi to finish compiling the profiles on the elders by the end of next month. I'll have to visit him to thank him in person for wrapping it up this quickly…_

"Since we sorted out all the logistics for the face painting stand last month, I'll only talk about the three still-problematic vendors that are left."

Sasuke nodded. They had stripped Elder Yomi of his position, title, and lands after they had gathered enough evidence over the past year to prove that his religious cult was traitorous to the kingdom.

 _Trying to summon a demon to take over the world? That man was insane!_

Every citizen of the Stone Kingdom now knew him as a fraud and a traitor, so he and his cult shouldn't be an issue anymore. However, they still had no idea where Yomi's funds came from. The goateed man insisted that they were blessings from his demonic god Moryo until the end, but Sasuke knew better than to trust him—there were no such things as gods or demons. The ridiculous amounts of gold that the initially penniless religious fanatic had somehow accumulated over the past decade had to have come from traceable human sources. It was such a shame that they had to release the man from prison before Ibiki could get the truth out of him…

"We decided to switch the locations of the fortune-telling stand and the gold fish stand due to how popular the fortune-tellers' was last year." _Interesting…_ So they now suspected Elder Mui, lord of Hozuki Castle. In Sasuke's memory, the man had always been strict and a stickler for the rules.

"Did the gold fish stand vendors mind?"

"We cleared it with the owners without any ruckus."

 _Hmm… I was sure that Shinno was acting suspicious. That two-faced doctor must be better at covering his tracks than I thought._

"I also hear that the sign-maker's work is going steady with the dango stand. He hasn't gotten to painting the menu yet, though." Sasuke's lips tilted downward.

 _Not fast enough… Ibiki needs to crack Mizuki before his execution._

"When do you think he'll finish? He needs to wrap things up with the festival by next week so he can lacquer and gild the nameplates for the visiting dignitaries as soon as possible."

"I'll check in with him when we get back, but I know that the dango stand will have an updated sign and picture from last year at the very least." Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru with a lift of his brow. _Should I go see Ibiki?_

Shikamaru brought his hand up to stroke his scruffy chin, barely tilting his head to the left. _No, nothing that big. I'll give you a quick update later._

"However, we should note that from recent surveys, people aren't pleased with this year's spread of stands." Shikamaru gave an unconcerned shrug that Sasuke knew to be anything but. "Apparently, the vendors have been spreading rumors about how the shops who got better locations bribed the organizers."

"Those morons…" Sasuke gritted his teeth. With the defamation of Yomi and the arrest of Mizuki, someone was starting to notice the investigations and was trying to do something about it—which means that _someone_ out there was most definitely guilty.

 _It's probably Mui or Shinno. Mizuki isn't cunning enough to pull this off._

Sasuke knew that it wasn't hard to spread negative rumors about him. Unlike Itachi and his parents, he had never been interested in cultivating a positive public image—didn't have to. He never expected to have much to do with the greasy workings of politics as the second prince. All that mattered in the military was that you were strong, obedient, and delivered results.

But now that the series of unforeseen events had landed Sasuke on the throne, his opposition was doing all they can to portray him as an out-of-touch, corrupt dictator who offed anyone who disagreed with him.

 _The rest of those treacherous rats are getting nervous…_

 _They want to discredit me, turn public opinion against me. But for what purpose? There's no clan strong enough to stage a coup. As long as I am still alive and have the support of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans, nobody can take the throne._

"I'll talk to my old man to see if there's anything we can do to find the ones responsible for the smears on the organizers. We don't want the Akimichi clan's reputation to suffer."

"Thanks for your hard work, Shikamaru." Sasuke nodded at his friend, who only scratched his head.

"It's nothing much."

Sasuke was honestly grateful for his friend's support. The lazy general had initially been dragged into volunteering for the festival planning committee by his friend Choji, the heir to the Akimichi clan, but their usage of the festival as a cover-up to discuss their inspection of the elders had added a lot of trivial assignments to Shikamaru's plate. He actually had to make sure the items they discussed happened in real life to keep up the pretenses.

The festival also had the added benefit of making Sasuke seem like he was more in-touch with civilian affairs, a small point in his favor in the eyes of the people. Of course, it wasn't quite enough to counterbalance the carefully designed slew of rumors that were being leaked around…

Sasuke scowled as he thought about the spores of nasty propaganda being dispersed throughout his kingdom and how little he was able to do to salvage his reputation.

 _I'm really not cut out for this…_

He had spent his entire life assuming that Itachi would take the throne— _everyone_ had thought it to be a sure thing. The Stone Kingdom was strong and prosperous and all of the noble clans had existed in stability under the rule of the Uchiha. Itachi himself had been a perfect Crown Prince.

… _Probably from the day he was born_ , Sasuke thought resentfuly.

The late King Fugaku had poured all of his energy and attention into his firstborn son to prime him to be the perfect successor. While Sasuke wasn't exactly neglected, he never had any real expectations placed on him and spent his days training and sneaking out into the city with his friends. Calm, patient, and composed, Itachi had the ideal personality for a ruler. Sasuke was the more irrational, spoiled prince who was doted upon by his mother. He had always hoped that he would end up a general like Shikamaru once they were older, acting as the king's sword and helping to maintain the peace of the Stone Kingdom at Itachi's side.

No one had been able to predict the chaos that had ensued last year.

Sure, there were hints that _something_ was brewing. It had started when their weapons-masters had developed Orochimaru's final invention enough for use, prompting King Fugaku and Queen Mikoto to start actively recruiting for the military. Even Sasuke, who used to try and avoid political nuances, had heard the whispers of war: they wanted to spread the glory of the Uchiha kingdom far and wide across the land.

Few noted Itachi's objections and his slow withdrawal. Those who did passed it off as a young man's anxiety for battle, as unlikely as it was for someone with Itachi's personality and background as an excellent fighter.

Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat. Whenever memories of that night resurfaced—the night he found Itachi standing over the bloodied corpses of his parents, the images still nauseated him with despair and fear…

* * *

 _Sasuke couldn't sleep. His senses were screaming at him that there was something very wrong in the castle. But how could that be? They were living in a time of peace and the Anbu royal guards were the strongest in the land._

 _With an agitated glare at the bright moon, he threw off his covers and plunged out of bed. His room was lit up with the shivery gloss of night, the black silk sheets of his four-poster bed pooling like waves of tar in their rumpled form on the cold, oakwood floor. Everything was meticulously arranged in his room. His desk was clear except for a dappled gray whetstone and not a single katana was out of place hanging on the walls._

 _Sasuke perked his ears and listened. All was quiet in the castle._

 _I might as well take a stroll…_

 _Sasuke grabbed his trusty chokuto, Chidori, in a last minute decision before striding out of his room._

 _The prince wandered around the empty corridors of the Uchiha clan's personal quarters on the top floor of the royal castle with no particular destination in mind. He didn't see or hear a single servant. It was awfully quiet for the night before what was sure to be a monumental war council meeting…_

 _He approached the western wing of the floor, where the King and Queen slept._

 _The putrid stink of entrails and blood hit his nose. Sasuke's heart raced in alarm and his hand fell to his chokuto. He could recognize the stench of death anywhere. But this smell belonged on the battlefield, not in his home._

 _Sasuke hunched into a crouch and lightened his steps as he approached the King and Queen's quarters, deliberately placing one heel in front of the other. His cloth shoes barely made a whisper on the cold, wooden floors._

 _He saw the angry blood splatters on the walls before he saw the four royal guards' prone forms on the floor._

 _No, no…_

 _Sasuke bent down. Their stomachs were sliced open in single, clean strokes, probably with a long sword. Only a professional could've murdered four Anbu without giving them enough time to even sound the alarm. Sasuke's heart raced in dread._

 _Who? How? Was_ that _man back?_

 _He saw a tuft of brown hair under one mask._

 _No… Please, don't be…_

 _With eyes stretched wide open in horror, Sasuke tore off the mask and put two fingers at the man's neck._

 _There was no pulse. Even Yamato, Sasuke's former teacher, was dead._

 _The door to the King and Queen's rooms was open just a sliver, casting a cold, white triangle of moonlight onto the floors. Sasuke's heart drummed in his ears._

 _Every single one of his instincts were telling him to run away, to hide, to call for help, but even as his gut tugged him away from the alluring sliver of light, some morbid, fearful curiosity dragged his feet closer and closer to the door. He had a feeling that there was something he needed to see behind that door. Right now._

 _Sasuke rested his hand on the wooden frame, pushing it open halfway without a single squeak from the well-oiled hinges. The regents' tall room looked as it always did. A marble writing desk and chair was at the left corner under a closed window, scrolls neatly piled on the desk next to wooden brushes and bottles of ink. The mahogany vanity with its large mirror sat across from the doorway. Sasuke saw his own face peering back at him, framed by the half-opened door._

 _He blinked slowly. Once. Twice._

 _The large, maroon four-poster bed at the right side of the room was neat and unrumpled, but Fugaku and Mikoto were nowhere to be seen._

 _Sasuke's attention was suddenly drawn back to the mirror. He thought he saw a small movement across the room._

 _He squinted and peered more closely. Just a foot away behind the door, a dark form was hunched over something in the shadows. Sasuke drew a sharp intake of breath and immediately moved to unsheathe Chidori._

 _The shadow shifted again, meeting Sasuke's focused stare through the reflection in the mirror._

 _Sasuke immediately recognized the sunken coal eyes of his brother._

" _Itachi!" With a shiiing, he sheathed Chidori and relaxed his stance. Sasuke took a deep breath and forced his heart to slow down. "You surprised me."_

 _Relieved to find his brother, Sasuke stepped further into the room and walked behind the door towards him. The Crown Prince wore tight, black armor and long gloves, his long hair tied back in a low ponytail. His sword was sheathed at his side. Had he just been training?_

 _Then, Sasuke glanced down and noticed that the Crown Prince was kneeling over the two bodies of their parents. The King and Queen's black kimonos were waterlogged and slick with a dark liquid._

 _Seeing their injured state, Sasuke panicked._

" _Itachi! We need to get them to Tsunade before it's too late!" Sasuke's thoughts raced through his head. What happened? Who? What could they do to stop the bleeding? Where was Tsunade right now? What if she's not in her chambers? How long would it take to find Sakura? Should they move them somewhere else? Bring them to the healers?_

" _It's too late." Itachi's eyes had never left Sasuke. The young prince tore his eyes away from the pooling blood to look back at his brother._

" _That's not possible," he spat out, glaring at Itachi in fury. How could he say something that heartless? "They are not dead! We can still save them!"_

" _I could kill you too, little brother."_

 _Those words froze Sasuke in place, his brain slowly grinding to a halt._

 _No… It wasn't._

 _Itachi wouldn't… Couldn't._

 _The brother that he knew could never have done such a terrible thing. Their parents had given them love, kindness, and everything else the riches of an entire kingdom could buy._

 _But Sasuke didn't recognize the cold, stony stare of the man in front of him._

" _Itachi?" Sasuke whispered, his voice low in disbelief._

 _There was only silence. Sasuke's eyes widened with a slow, dawning realization._

 _What could have prompted Itachi to do something like this?_

 _Sasuke's throat felt drier than the deserts of the Sand Kingdom. A monster this cruel would do the same to him._

 _Sasuke registered Itachi slowly getting up from his hunched-over kneel in front of their parents' prone forms, his gloved hands glistening and dripping with a dark, viscous fluid. The man slowly stalked towards Sasuke. It was as if time were slowing down with each quiet step he took._

 _Sasuke screamed at his arms and legs to move, to carry him out of the suffocating chambers or to draw his chokuto and fight. Just… Do something!_

 _But his fingers only twitched. Itachi's overwhelming aura pinned him in place as the stranger that he used to know crept towards him with a cold look in his eyes._

 _Itachi stopped a breath away._

 _Sasuke's heart threatened to jump out of his chest. He knew that he was no match for the man—he had never bested him in anything. He could foresee his death: that blade would pierce through him, the silver metal still sticky with their parents' blood, ending his life as it had ended hundreds before him._

 _His vision blurred and everything throbbed crimson when Itachi reached up in a smooth motion._

 _Sasuke felt a hard tap on his forehead. His heart stopped._

" _Take care of the kingdom, little brother."_

 _An hour later, the royal guards found him on his knees surrounded by six dead bodies, seemingly in a trance. A large black bag filled with scrolls was collapsed and torn open on the floor next to him, their thick, cloth wrappings soaked in the sticky, drying pool of blood._

 _The next day, when all the intelligence had been gathered, they had reached the conclusion that Itachi Uchiha had committed the crimes of murder, high treason, and regicide willingly and without an accomplice. It was easy to collect the evidence. It almost seemed like Itachi purposely laid out everything perfectly for them to find._

" _We have to tell the people," Sasuke heard Inoichi cry out. "But this is disastrous news for the kingdom. The betrayal of the Crown Pr—Itachi, will destroy any stability that we have built! We don't even know his motivations…"_

"— _And someone of his abilities on the loose will strike terror into every citizen!" Shinno added. "It'll incite riots in the streets! The Stone Kingdom will collapse!"_

 _The rest of the elders murmured in fearful agreement._

"… _No." Sasuke's voice was raw, cutting through the buzz of the large war room. He looked up and surveyed the expansive room with its long mahogany table. The King and Queen were supposed to be having a much different discussion here today… "Itachi Uchiha is dead."_

" _What?!" Chouza sputtered and jumped up. "He disappeared without a trace! Everyone is in grave danger unless we catch him as soon—"_

" _Quiet!" Sasuke's eyes flashed in rage, silencing the room once again. He continued in a deeper, lower voice. "The people… They are safe from him."_

 _In the silence of anticipation that followed, Sasuke looked around the room at the faces of surprise and disbelief. He took a deep breath, thinking of the contents of those damning scrolls._

 _I will be King now. I have to take responsibility._

" _I killed him with my own hands. That is the end of this conversation. Tell that to the people."_

" _No matter who you are, we can't just accept that explanation without any pr—!"_

 _Shikaku interrupted Chouza with a raised hand. He stared into Sasuke's eyes calculatingly, the Nara clan leader's eyes glinting with intelligence. Sasuke could almost see the gears in that genius brain churning as he was taken apart and judged._

 _Shikaku closed his eyes and frowned. When he opened them again, he swept his gaze across the room and continued in a cautious voice, "Perhaps that would be for the best…"_

* * *

Sasuke stood at the bottom of the gray stone steps leading up to the red gate of the shrine, all of the noble clans of the Stone Kingdom waiting behind him. The midday sun shone bright in the clear sky. Sasuke breathed and took in the earthy scent of decomposing earth and leaves. The astronomers had predicted today to be a fortuitous day for a wedding. It seemed that they had been right about the weather at least.

Sasuke blew out a small huff of breath in annoyance. It was an unusually warm autumn day and the thick, black layers of his kimono were starting to make him sweat. He could hear the beginnings of hushed whispers rustling behind him. He ignored the murmurs of his subjects and instead stared intently across the gray stone plaza at the bamboo forest. The emerald green stalks languorously swished back and forth with the gentle wind, not experiencing any of the anxiety that Sasuke was currently feeling.

 _What is taking them so long? Let's hurry and get this tedious ceremony over with!_

He was debating whether to send Ino or some other lady to check on the Leaf Kingdom party when he saw figures exit the thick covering of stalks and leaves.

 _Finally…_

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't realize he had been holding.

His bride wore a white, silk cape over her ornate purple robes, the traditional bleached uchikake hood draping over her head. She was accompanied by the rest of the Leaf Kingdom entourage. All of their soldiers had donned traditional wedding kimonos of black and silver in favor of their armor and weapons. A man walking behind his bride held a wide bamboo umbrella over her head, its lilac silks shielding her from the strong rays of the sun. The shadows cast by the cloth of the umbrella bathed the girl in a dull, purple glow.

As they approached, Sasuke could make out Neji Hyuuga and the younger Hyuuga sister walking at his bride's left and right. They wore matching black kimonos with silver obis. A large flame inside a circle was boldly embroidered in silver at the base of their kimonos—the Hyuuga clan crest. Sasuke glanced down at the too-big Uchiha fan embroidered in red and white at the bottom of his kimono. It looked just as pretentious.

Sasuke looked up again and spotted the ambassador from the Yuhi clan walking a little ways behind Neji. She wore a simple black kimono with a silver obi decorated in the thorn pattern of her clan.

When his bride finally stopped three meters in front of him, Sasuke could see that her breath was a little rushed and her cheeks were flushed pink with warmth. Sasuke felt a small pang of sympathy for the girl.

 _It must be a lot hotter for her under all those layers than it is for anybody else here…_

The Hyuuga princess bowed slowly and elegantly at the waist, the white hood of her cape draping fluidly against the silver headdress that she was wearing.

"The Hyuuga clan of the Leaf Kingdom is honored to present itself here today in marriage." Neji's voice rang strong and clear across the plaza as the rest of the Leaf's entourage followed in the princess's bow.

Sasuke thought that the dark bowed heads of the seventy or so people present made an interesting sight, like a bed of bent nails.

When they rose, Sasuke returned the bow, the nobles behind him following suit. Unlike the Hyuuga princess, he had no relatives to announce for him, so he cleared his throat and spoke for himself.

"The Uchiha clan of the Stone Kingdom is honored to present itself here today in marriage."

With the introductory formalities done, it was now time for the ceremonial exchange of gifts.

Sasuke turned to look at Asuma behind him. The bearded captain nodded his head and stepped forwards, leading a large gray stallion by lengthy silver reigns reinforced with iron. The dappled beast was bridled and saddled with the finest leather harnesses that money could buy. His headstall was gilded in silver and his saddle was decorated with gleaming metal armor that draped down his flank. His mane and tail had been braided into neat, thick pleats with ribbons of maroon velvet woven in.

With a deep grunt, the stallion was led to a stop between the two parties. Sasuke quietly cleared his throat again.

"The groom would like to present the bride with this prized stallion, Tsukuyomi, symbolizing the Stone Kingdom's promise of strength and loyal companionship through this union with the Leaf." Tsukuyomi was a younger sibling to Amaterasu, born of the same excellent pedigree. He was strong, easy to handle, and swift—though not as swift as Sasuke's steed, of course!—a worthy wedding gift to a royal. Sasuke thought that it was a shame to gift him to the princess. She would probably have little use for the magnificent beast of war. Tsukuyomi would probably just waste away in the royal stables until the end of his days…

His bride dipped her head in a polite show of thanks as a man stepped up to take the reigns from Asuma. With no resistance from the obedient steed, the soldier led Tsukuyomi towards the back of the Leaf Kingdom party.

Once the horse was settled, the younger Hyuuga princess—Sasuke now recalled that her name was Hanabi—stepped forward. With her two arms, she held out a sleek black box with a gold clasp and did a small bow at her waist. She unlocked the long box with a practiced motion, revealing a simple sword with a worn leather hilt lying on a bed of black silk. Neji stepped forwards and prepared to speak.

"The bride would like to present the groom with the legendary Sword of Kusanagi."

A wave of surprised gasps came from the Stone Kingdom nobles. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the declaration. This was the sword said to have been wielded by the first great emperor of the land. It was a priceless treasure!

He squinted slightly at the weapon to inspect it further. Although its hilt was old and spotty with age, the elegant edge of the blade still gleamed, untarnished by rust or wear. He had no doubt that the metal still had bite.

"The union of the Leaf and the Stone brings forth a new era for both kingdoms. We pledge to you the loyal support of our army and our men whenever the need calls."

Sasuke could hear the pleased whispers of the nobles behind him. While the Sword of Kusanagi was surely impressive, Sasuke was certain that those men and women were more enthralled with the alliance to the mighty Leaf Kingdom's military and the potential that their combined forces had for destruction and domination.

 _Those warmongering bastards… Will they never give it a rest?_

Asuma stepped forward to take the wooden box. Sasuke bowed upon receiving the gift and stepped towards his bride. He noticed that she looked much better today than when he had first laid eyes on her two nights ago. Sasuke had been pulled into official matters of the court ever since they returned to the capital from escorting the Leaf princess and hadn't visited the girl.

Shikamaru had passed along Ibiki's discovery that very night: Mizuki had been trying to transport the stolen scroll to a contact in the Cloud Kingdom. This was extremely disconcerting news. Their northwestern neighbor mostly kept to itself, not often getting involved in border skirmishes. They even had a strict policy of not allowing foreigners entry except for the occasional merchant or trade ship. As a result, the land was shrouded in mystery and few outside of its borders knew of its geography.

 _With the attempt on the Leaf Princess's life and now this, what's going on? What are they planning? It doesn't make sense for them to want to attack now. The wall is complete and the Stone is stronger than ever…_

Sasuke was extremely thankful that he didn't need to take care of any preparations for the wedding ceremony amidst the hectic happenings of the past two days. He looked up and down at the woman standing in front of him and nodded in approval. It seemed that the servants had done a perfectly good job of welcoming his new bride and preparing her for the wedding.

Hinata Hyuuga stood with elegant poise, her head tilted up just high enough to assert nobility but not overly so to imply pride. Her skin glowed like fine china under the purple shade of the umbrella and her small lips were painted a luscious red. Sasuke brought his gaze upwards and found himself staring into expressive, wide eyes framed by a bed of dark lashes. With a smidgeon of surprise, he realized that they were not the pure white that he had originally thought, but had a slight tint of lilac.

Sasuke breathed in a delicate, alluring whiff of honeysuckle, probably from the baths that the maids had drawn for the princess. Even without the makeup, the one day of rest after her arrival seemed to have worked wonders for her looks. With her current graceful demeanor, she could be considered quite beautiful.

However, Sasuke could see through her mask of confidence quite easily up close. Her eyes were a bit too wide and she kept glancing away, as if she were afraid to meet his gaze. She also seemed to be nibbling on the inside of her mouth, perhaps trying to control the small trembles of trepidation that he could see flitter across the petals of her lips every few moments. The quiet ruffling sounds of fabric at her sides hinted at trembling hands.

The princess was nervous.

 _Ah… She's probably still scared of me or something._

Sasuke pressed his lips together in annoyance, recalling Shikamaru's advice.

 _I have to get her on my side… Be nice…_

Sasuke schooled his expression into a small smile—he hoped it didn't look too forced—and offered the Hyuuga princess his arm. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. She frantically glanced down at the Uchiha crest embroidered on his sleeve and then back up again at his face.

"Shall we?" Sasuke prodded quietly, pointing his chin towards the tall steps to the top of the shrine.

"Ah yes, thank you." The princess took his arm in an elegant, smooth motion as they turned to face the stone stairs. Although her small voice had wavered a bit, Sasuke noticed that there was no stuttering this time.

 _Perhaps she's not as weak as I'd originally thought._

Her hand was a gentle press on the crook of his elbow, as if she were afraid to intrude. Sasuke frowned.

 _This won't do… It looks as if she's afraid to touch me. The nobles will laugh._

With his free arm, Sasuke took her hand and tucked it more securely against his side. He noticed that her palms were cold and slightly clammy.

"This is better," he whispered under his breath just low enough that only she could hear him.

When he glanced down at his bride, he saw that a violent red blush had flushed her face where it wasn't covered by the hood of her white cape.

Sasuke smirked. So she was shy.

As they proceeded up the hill with the nobles of both kingdoms in tow, Sasuke noticed that each step of the shrine was worn down in the middle. The hard gray rock that was otherwise mottled brown and green with moss had been polished with shiny, step-sized grooves, attesting to the rich history of this place of worship. This was where generations of Stone Kingdom citizens hosted weddings, conducted funerals, or simply came to pray. Tall maple trees stood guard over the path to the red gate, their crimson and gold leaves creating a warm patchwork of light. The autumn winds playfully blew up the hill, tugging at dried leaves and tossing them around across the ground.

As they neared the top of the stairs, Sasuke noticed the Hyuuga's breath coming out in more ragged gasps. She didn't try to slow their pace or motion to stop for a break, but her hand pushed harder on the crook of his arm for support.

 _She's actually as fragile as she looks, huh? Well, at least I won't have to worry about getting strangled in my sleep._

They finally reached the top of the hill after a few minutes. The tall crimson gate of the Shinto shrine framed a small stone clearing in the maple thicket. An elegant wooden temple sat in front of them, its roof a freshly painted black and its beams bright red. An elderly monk stood waiting on the porch in front of an aging bronze bell twice his height. He stepped forwards to reveal a cast iron cauldron filled with white sand behind him.

Sasuke thought that the monk looked like a shriveled prune with his leathery skin and small stature. His wispy white beard contrasted rather humorously with the shiny dome of his bald head. He wore the traditional black and gold kesa robes of the monastery and carried a long string of wooden beads in his left hand and a candle in his right.

He gave them a nod to indicate that they should approach.

 _Ding! Din-dong…donk!_

Strings of smaller bronze bells hung from the cross-beams of the temple's ceiling in front of them, clanking together in dull, muted peals with occasional caresses of the breeze.

The Hyuuga gently disentangled her arm from his as they walked towards the temple in unison. Sasuke dropped his arm back to his side, almost missing the light warmth that lingered.

They stopped just in front of the steps to the temple porch and bowed in tandem to the monk.

"Rise…" The monk's voice was gravelly and deep, contrasting with his frail image. He gestured towards a slender vase filled with sticks of incense on the first step of the temple.

"Pay your respects to your ancestors."

They bent forwards and each pulled out three sticks of incense from the black pot. Sasuke noticed that while he just grabbed three random sticks from the side of the vase, his bride carefully picked them out one-by-one with her dainty hands.

 _She's graceful…_

Sasuke stepped onto the porch and approached the monk, arms outstretched with the thin sticks of incense. He dipped the tips into the flame of the monk's candle until they started smoldering, glowing with dull orange embers. Sasuke withdrew from the flame and waved the sticks around in front of him, trailing a thin ribbon of opaque, white smoke that curled and unfurled into itself before slowly dissipating. He could smell the light, enticing aroma of burning aloeswood wafting through the air, hued by a refreshing trace of bitterness. As Sasuke stepped towards the cauldron of sand to complete the incense ceremony, he saw the Hyuuga girl doing the same out of his peripheral vision. They both bowed low three times and firmly planted the sticks of incense into the sand of the cauldron.

The monk _hmm_ ed in satisfaction, his eyes crinkling into a smile. He took each of their hands and led them past the cauldron deeper into the temple. The skin of his hand felt both dry and smooth, like crinkled wax paper. Sasuke and Hinata stopped in front of the large bronze bell hanging from the crossbeams of the temple ceiling. The monk motioned for them to turn and face one another about two feet away. He then stepped back and cleared his throat.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you wish to marry this woman and become her partner," he stated, his strong voice ringing across the clearing.

 _My wish? More like the elders' wish…_

"Will you, in peaceful times and during sickness, love, respect, comfort, and help this woman? Until death do you promise to fulfill?"

"Yes, I promise." Sasuke stared down at his bride as he said those words loud enough for everyone gathered in the clearing to hear. The Hyuuga princess was staring a hole into the floor. The quick rise and falls of her chest indicated that she was breathing a bit too rapidly. A crystalline droplet of sweat oozed a misty track down the side of her blushing cheek, pooling at the tip of her chin. He could see the cartilage of her long, pale neck bobbing up and down as she swallowed every few seconds.

No doubt that she was nervous. Her throat was probably dry from that trek up to the temple.

"Hinata Hyuuga, you wish to marry this man and become his partner." All of a sudden, the girl lifted her chin and stared straight at Sasuke. He blinked. She nibbled her bottom lip.

Sasuke could see the trapped desperation broiling just beneath the surface of her large, pale eyes.

"Will you, in peaceful times and during sickness, love, respect, comfort, and help this man? Until death do you promise to fulfill?"

The girl expanded her chest and drew her spine upwards in a deep breath. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, parting her lips. When she opened her eyes again, looking at the monk, her hands were shaking, her lips were trembling, and she looked as if she were about to cry. Sasuke frowned.

 _Is she going to say no…?_

"Yes, I promise." She spoke her vows in a voice like the ringing of silver, high and clear like a birdsong. Sasuke could hear none of the hesitance and fear that he saw in her body.

"Then, I am pleased to announce the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga. In the eyes of the gods and in the books of men, you are now wed."

As the crowd below them cheered their congratulations, the deep, clanging tolls of the grand bell of the temple thundered throughout the Stone Kingdom capital.

* * *

Author's Note: First chapter from Sasuke's perspective! This was a bit of a challenge. Not sure how it came out and the scene transitions also felt a little iffy… Please leave me a review to let me know your thoughts! Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Should I do more Sasuke POVs or just have Hinata?

I did a little extra research for the wedding scene in this chapter. I looked up several of the traditions from ancient Japanese or Chinese weddings (they were usually Buddhist and done at Shinto shrines) and tried to describe them as best as I can. I skimped out on some things and added some other things, but I think the general gist is there. My impressions were that traditional weddings are pretty ceremonial and formal. If any of you have more knowledge on this topic, leave me a note!

By the way, since break is now over, I may not be able to do weekly updates anymore, but we'll see. :)

 **To the Sasuke Guest reviewer from Chapter 3:** Not sure if you're reading this, but thank you very much for taking the time to write a thoughtful critique. (I would PM you, but, alas, you're anonymous) I did take your comments into consideration for this chapter since I do think you make a point, and I think that the more in-depth exploration of Sasuke this chapter (this time not from Hinata's perspective!) paints a fuller picture of his personality and his motivations. Even if you choose to not continue to read my fic, I would appreciate it if you left me another review or PM to let me know your thoughts.


	5. Pillow Talk

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and am making no money from this work. This applies to the entire story.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Pillow Talk**

 **By Piplop**

* * *

 _Autumn_

Hinata had no prior illusions about her wedding. She knew it wouldn't exactly be fun or filled with celebrating family and friends, but she had no idea it would be this exhausting.

She stretched her lips into a practiced warm smile as yet another noble from the Stone Kingdom approached their table to give them his clan's well wishes and support. The back of her neck was itchy from dried sweat, her robes were a bit too hot after all that sake, and, embarrassingly enough, her behind was sore from sitting on the throne.

She was actually used to hours of kneeling and sitting on floor cushions for official events in the Leaf Kingdom, but it seemed that the Stone Kingdom didn't have such a custom—everyone was in chairs or on wooden benches. From tonight's experience, Hinata knew that this would take her body some getting used to.

"Your majesties," a middle-aged man with an orange top knot sunk into a low bow at the stairs below their table. "Kotaru of the Fuma clan wishes to present himself today."

He waved his right arm back towards the right corner of the large banquet hall, gesturing at a long table of men and women with similarly orange hair. They all stood up at bowed. "The Fuma clan sends you our warmest regards and congratulations. We swear to you our fealty and…"

Hinata zoned out. She had given up on remembering names after the thirtieth or so person. All of the faces of the non-descript, middle-aged men were starting to meld together. Her eyes floated to the large banquet table in front of her. It was covered in a long, intricately embroidered red tablecloth and had trays of scrumptious food sitting on it, barely touched. She could smell the oily, rich aroma of the roast duck and the sweet and spicy tang of the beef and vegetable stir fry. A small cauldron filled to the brim with glistening seafood soup simmered an arms-length in front of her, the beautifully tender white of the shrimp and bright orange and green of the vegetables obscured by the wispy steam.

Only decades of etiquette training kept Hinata's mouth from watering. Despite what many assumed by looking at her pale, slender frame, she actually loved to both eat and cook. While noble ladies were usually not allowed to be in the kitchens, she had been an exception due to her volunteer work across the Imperial Dragon City. Hinata had found cooking to be a wonderful hobby. The picking and mixing of ingredients was therapeutic, similar to when she made medicinal poultices. And the happy expressions on the faces of those who enjoyed her cooking gave her indescribable satisfaction…

But she couldn't even touch the food at her own wedding! It was considered very rude for the hosts of the wedding to eat while someone was speaking to them. Hinata had barely taken a bite before the endless string of well-wishers had materialized.

"…You may rise." The Stone King's dismissal pulled Hinata out of her daydream. She gave a dignified smile and a whisper of _thank you_ as the man raised his head and kowtowed away.

Hinata discreetly turned her head to peek over at the Stone King… Her new husband. A fresh bouquet sat in the middle of the table between them. The bright citrus blossoms of freesia, the heavy, velvet petals of red tulips, the lacey frills of pink peony blooms, and the lavender sprigs of bush clover were artistically arranged in a stout vase. The man behind the flowers wore a neutral mask over his cool features. His lips were relaxed, his jaw unclenched, and his eyes bore a regal, distant gaze. If it weren't for the incessant tapping of his fingers on his kimono (hidden to all except Hinata and the two guards behind them), he would've looked the perfect image of a composed king.

A tiny, almost unnoticeable smile quirked up Hinata's mouth at the image.

She had thought that Sasuke Uchiha would surely be a cruel, terrifying man. He had been so intimidating and condescending when they had first met, giving her even more anxiety regarding their impending marriage over the past two days. She had tried to mentally prepare herself for a lifetime of cold glares and disappointed scowls—resulting in a bout of insomnia in the castle yesterday—but their interaction at the shrine had given her a spark of hope…

 _She stared in confusion and alarm when he first held his arm out to her beneath the stairs to the shrine._

 _Uhhh… Am I supposed to do something? Oh no… Did I forget a part of the ceremony?_

 _She looked at him with a panicked stare, hoping for something to jog her memory._

 _Everyone's going to realize that I forgot soon! He's going to hate me even more for embarrassing him!_

 _A second later, he gave her a small smile that immediately brought her out of her impending panic attack._

" _Shall we?"_

 _Ah… He's just being polite and offering his arm._

 _Hinata gingerly took his elbow, quickly regaining her composure and breathing in a sigh of relief. Her heart had almost settled back into its original rhythm when the Uchiha suddenly grabbed her hand. A jolt ran from the spot on her palm where they touched through her spine and down to her toes._

 _She hoped that he didn't feel her flinch at his touch. His hand was large and warm as it enveloped hers and pulled her closer to his side._

 _Before Hinata could react to the sudden intimacy, Sasuke's warm breath brushed across the shell of her ear and ghosted over the fine hairs down her neck._

" _This is better…"_

 _His soft whisper forced Hinata to suppress a shiver. With her large hood obscuring her face and everyone behind them, she was glad that nobody could see her furious blush. Her face had probably been bright red like a drunkard's—rather unbecoming of a lady…_

Over her lifetime, many had told her that she was overly trusting and optimistic, but Hinata thought that it was always better to give someone the benefit of the doubt. She had seen how the Leaf councilors treated one another. Rumors and under-the-table negotiations were wildly abundant in the imperial palace as the dozens of noble clans fought for power and fame. Every so often, the vicious cycle of distrust would eventually turn into pointed fingers, backstabbing, and somebody losing their position, honor, or wealth—all done very civilly, of course.

Hinata wasn't naïve enough to think that the Stone Kingdom would be drastically different, but she hoped that her husband would show himself to be above the stereotype of a corrupt and wrathful monarch. He had to have been a great man to have somehow put a stop to the fighting between their countries so quickly after taking the throne, and, after all, he had displayed to her that small act of kindness when he didn't have to…

A large, stout man approached their table next. He had a shock of red hair, two purple tattoos under his cheekbones, and a wide, warm smile.

"Chouza of the Akimichi clan presents himself. We offer you our heartiest congratulations, my King and Queen." The man got down on one knee in a gesture of fealty.

"Please rise, Lord Chouza," Hinata noticed that her husband's voice seemed warmer than it had been for most of the other visitors. "The crown is eternally grateful for your clan's support and loyalty through these trying times."

The large man laughed, deep and rolling, and stood up. "Let's share a drink to celebrate this joyous occasion!"

The king nodded and motioned for a servant waiting by their table to pour three small cups of sake.

 _They must have a close relationship with the Uchiha clan…_

The Akimichi clan head walked up the two steps to approach their table and took one of the small china cups. Hinata was handed one by the servant. She stared into the white porcelain, smelling the light, floral aroma of the beverage. The cup only held a volume of liquid the size of a thimble, but Hinata knew better than to underestimate the potent alcohol.

After the ceremony at the shrine, they had come to the banquet hall, where they had to toast all the attendees. Granted her tolerance isn't terribly high, but those three small cups of sake were strong enough to make Hinata feel red-faced and woozy until now.

 _I'm glad that I've been sitting down this whole time, or I definitely would've made a fool of myself by now._

"A toast to a prosperous future for the Stone Kingdom!" With his two outstretched arms holding the sake cup, Chouza beamed warmly at Hinata, "And a happy marriage to both of you!"

They downed the sake in unison.

Hinata held back a cough as the sharp liquid burned her tongue and coated her mouth before it seared a painful, fiery trail down her throat. Her nose itched with a sour, numbing sensation as she smiled at the large clan head through watering eyes.

Chouza bowed one last time and left their table.

Hinata gently placed her cup on the table so that the servant could take it away. The nutty aftertaste of the sake vaporized in her lungs, leaving her chest warm and tingly. She looked over at her husband. He seemed as unaffected as before.

As if sensing her gaze, he cocked his head and glanced her way with a raised brow. Their eyes met for a split second before Hinata blushed and looked down, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

 _Oh, what am I doing getting all flustered? I should've just smiled at him… Acted normal._

Hinata shook her head at herself and slowly raised her head to look out towards Hanabi and Neji's table. As members of her clan, they were seated at a long table closest to the front of the room on the queen's side. Neji was slowly sipping at his cup of tea with a slightly irritated expression and her little sister was picking at her food with a sullen look in her eyes. Hanabi appeared uncharacteristically tired.

 _Is she still recovering from our journey?_

 _No… That's not likely. If I'm feeling fine, Hanabi's definitely in good shape._

 _Does the food of the Stone Kingdom not sit well with her stomach?_

A small crease appeared in between Hinata's eyebrows as she thought about the medicines she had brought with her and if they would be of any use.

She heard a small cough from her left. She almost looked over before remembering the embarrassment of having been caught staring at Sasuke moments before. Recalling his sharp, dark gaze, she lowered her head in embarrassment and blushed again.

 _His throat is probably dry from the sake, too. I don't want to be caught starting again… He'll probably think I'm creepy…_

She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip, letting the hot, earthy liquid soothe her still-raw throat.

"Ahem," Sasuke coughed a bit more noticeably this time. Realizing that he may have wanted her attention, Hinata immediately turned.

His face was perfectly blank, but when he spoke, his voice was low and a little miffed. "We've been here for long enough. Unless you have something you still need to do, we'll retire for the night."

Hinata nodded in relief.

Sasuke turned around and whispered something to one of the guards. The soldier nodded and walked down their raised platform and across the banquet hall.

Hinata followed him with her eyes. To her surprise, he stopped at Kurenai's table.

The ambassador was chatting with someone hidden behind her, and when the soldier leaned over to interrupt their conversation, Hinata saw that it was the captain of the royal guard.

Asuma looked over in their direction and walked towards them, his subordinate in tow.

He curtly bowed at the bottom of the stairs. "We're ready when you are, my King and Queen."

Sasuke stood up and Hinata followed his example. The voices of the nobles and sounds of clinking silverware instantly fell quiet as everyone else pushed back their chairs and stood up as well.

"Thank you for attending my wedding today," Sasuke stoically addressed their audience. "The Stone Kingdom hopes to continue counting on all of your support in the future, as well."

He paused. Hinata thought that it looked like he was going to say something else, but he just thinned his lips and ended his speech.

"There's plenty of food and sake, so please feel free to enjoy yourselves late into the night."

 _He really doesn't seem like the type to enjoy parties and festivities…_

With a sharp nod to Asuma, the Stone King walked down the platform. Hinata quickly followed as they paraded down the open stretch in the center of the room with two guards flanking their sides and the captain behind them.

The eyes of all the Stone Kingdom nobles weighed down on Hinata. She gulped nervously and straightened her back into what she hoped was a regal-looking walk.

 _Just don't look at them… Don't look at them…_

Two more guards held open the double doors at the end of the banquet hall and they strode through without pause. Hinata gave a small sigh of relief as all the pressure of the crowd vanished.

The hallway was much darker than the brightly decorated banquet hall. Tall candelabras with white paper shades were dotted down the long stretch, casting a scattered yellow glow onto the high rafters and red carpets.

Sasuke started walking immediately once the doors to the banquet hall slammed shut.

They walked a hundred steps before ascending a wide staircase on their right, leading to several closed doors– _meeting halls?_ –and a smaller set of stairs hidden behind a corner. The castle was like a giant maze. Hinata creased her eyes in worry.

 _I hope it doesn't take too long for me to learn how to get around…_

* * *

After climbing numerous more sets of stairs and walking down dizzying winding corridors, the party finally stopped in front of a set of tall black doors with golden handles.

Hinata peered at the designs closely and noticed that they were engraved with the fan shape of the Uchiha crest.

Asuma walked up and saluted them before taking his position to the right of the doorway.

Sasuke gave him a curt nod in response.

 _I guess we're here? So do we just… go in?_

Hinata looked to the Stone King for an affirmation. Without even a glance towards her, he pushed open the door to the room and strode in. The heavy doors smoothly slid shut behind him without a squeak.

 _Erm… That was…_

Feeling rather out of place and a bit unwanted from Sasuke's cold treatment, Hinata stared at the golden door handles. She nibbled her bottom lip and pulled at the seams of her sleeves.

 _Can I enter? Am I allowed to? Will it be awkward?_

Asuma cleared his throat.

Hinata started and looked towards the bearded captain in embarrassment, only to meet a comforting smile.

"We'll be out here patrolling all night, so please call if you need anything."

Hinata smiled back nervously.

"Thank you."

It hit her that this would be their first night together as husband and wife. They would be alone in a room… With one bed…

…There were certain expectations.

Hinata closed her eyes as her heart sped up.

 _I chose this_ , she reminded herself.

She took a deep breath, tried to straighten her back, and stepped forwards. With a final smile towards Asuma, she pushed open the door.

The room— _my new bedroom?_ —was tall and expansive like most of the other rooms in the castle. However, Hinata was surprised at the lack of flamboyance and ornamentation that one would expect from a king's quarters.

The plain stone walls were bare and the furniture minimalistic. There was a large four-poster bed with clean white sheets, several wardrobes, a set of chairs and a round desk across from the entrance, and a closed set of doors that looked like they would lead to a balcony.

Hinata took a hesitant step forwards, and then another.

Sasuke appeared from behind a cloth folding screen at the other side of the room, stopping Hinata in her tracks. She noticed that he had changed into a lighter black yukata to replace his ceremonial robes.

Hinata reflexively looked down when their eyes met, her heart pounding in her chest.

 _Wait… No, no… I can't be this shy._

She squeezed her eyes shut, balled her hands into fists, and forced herself to raise her head and meet his gaze. His face was blank, his eyes reflecting the dull flames of the candles scattered about. She gulped and tried to force a smile.

"This... room is v-very clean."

He lifted an eyebrow.

 _Oh no, that sounded like I was surprised!_

"N-Not that I expected it to—" The Uchiha cut her off with a raised hand and started walking towards her.

"I know it's pretty empty but I don't need much. They'll bring all your things here tomorrow."

"Ah…" Hinata's voice trailed off as he got closer and closer. "I didn't actually… Bring that much…"

Her eyes widened with each step her husband took towards her and her voiced trailed off to a whisper. "… _Either…?_ "

 _W-Wait… I'm not ready for this…_

Hinata took a small stumble backwards, prompting Sasuke to stop just a few feet away from her.

"You don't have to look so scared." His voice was tinged with annoyance. "I'm not going to do anything to you."

A blush bloomed across Hinata's face and down her neck.

 _Was I that obvious? He must be offended right now…_

"U-Uh… N-no… That's not… Um…" He brought his hand to his forehead and sighed.

"I swear I'm not going to touch you, okay?" Hinata thought that he looked rather exasperated. "You can go change behind that screen over there," he offhandedly waved his arm towards her left.

Hinata saw that a light purple yukata was hanging over the changing screen at the back of the room.

With a final lingering look, the Stone king turned around and stalked towards the other side of the room. He opened a door that Hinata hadn't noticed before—it looked like it led to a study of some sort?—and disappeared inside.

Her heart still racing, Hinata took a few deep breaths of relief. She attempted to will away the dark blush on her face.

 _He thinks I'm terrified of him… From the way I acted, he probably thinks I hate him too… And… And he probably hates me!_

She sunk to the floor and crumpled into a ball of silk. The princess—now a queen—put her face into her hands in shame. This day had ended so badly.

 _What was I expecting? Love? For him to be happy with me?_

She internally scolded herself for having such unrealistic thoughts.

 _We don't know a single thing about each other. It was a political marriage from the beginning!_

She felt wet warmth swell under her eyelids and tried to push back the impending flood of tears. With a sniffle, she furiously wiped away the drops that were beginning to seep through with her fingertips.

 _I don't have the right to cry right now! He's probably the one who's really disappointed with having someone as plain and weak as me for his wife…_

Hinata lifted her face and saw that her palms were smudged with the black and white tones of her makeup. Her lips trembled and she balled her hands into fists, willing the tears to stop flowing.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. _Slowly in… Hold… And slowly out…_

The soft sounds of her breath gradually calmed her.

With a final puff of air, she opened her eyes.

 _I should clean myself up. I don't want him to think that I'm a slob who can't even take care of her own appearance._

With a light sigh, she slowly pushed herself off of the floor and stood up.

 _Grrrr… Ruumble…_

Although the anxiety of her night had wiped away any semblance of an appetite that Hinata had, her stomach still protested the lack of nourishment. She had only taken a few bites during the banquet, and she had only been able to pick at her breakfast this morning because she had been so nervous. Her stomach churned and growled, the sour acids pounding a dull pain into her core.

Hinata sighed and slowly walked towards the changing screen, gently rubbing little circles into her abdomen.

She was so, so tired…

To her pleasant surprise, there was a sink and a small faucet behind the cloth partitions. Hinata flipped the water on and ran her hands under the crystalline trickle. It was absolutely freezing.

After a few seconds under the stream, her hands were bright pink. The stabs of pain from the cold had turned into a more numbing sensation. She pooled the liquid in the cup of her palm and leaned down to splash her face.

She gasped when the shock of icy water hit her.

The pain was surprisingly refreshing.

After rubbing her face and repeating the process several times, she was satisfied to see her palms free of the oils and powders of her makeup. She flipped off the faucet, wiped her hands and face dry on a towel, and turned towards the mirror on the wall.

Hinata was glad to see that she still looked rather elegant at the end of the day—the perfect picture of a queen with her voluminous robes and silver headdress. Not a single hair was out of place. Hopefully, the nobles of the Stone Kingdom had been pleased with her performance today…

She combed through her silky hair with her fingers to untangle the phoenix ornaments. After collecting a bunch in her hands, she placed them on a stool.

Now the robes were a challenge… She had never attempted to untie the complicated obi herself. That item of clothing was designed to be put on and taken off by someone else, after all.

Hinata turned sideways in the mirror for a better vantage point of the tie and reached behind her to pull at the knot. The cloth had been wrapped extremely securely around a board of some kind. Hinata tugged at it from several different angles and tried to stretch her arms back even further, but she could tell that no progress was being made. Tiny tufts of rabbit fur came away in her hands. Hinata winced at the damage she had done.

 _At this rate, I'll tear this obi before I manage to unravel it…_

With a frustrated humph, Hinata dropped her arms to her sides. They were sore from all the stretching.

 _I guess I'll have to ask him to do it?_ Her blush threatened to return.

 _Wait… The guards that are outside… They said they were there to help if I needed anything. Maybe I can ask Captain Asuma?_

Hinata immediately shook her head and vetoed that idea. What was she thinking? It would be terribly improper for the newly wedded queen to ask another man to undress her! And besides, people would then know that the couple hadn't been intimate on their wedding night… Rumors would spread that the King and Queen were cold towards each other… And then the alliance between the Leaf and the Stone…

The repercussions would be disastrous.

With a shaky breath, Hinata slowly treaded towards the open study, her heart pounding in her ears. She paused for a beat and bit her lip before stepping into the doorway.

The Stone king was sitting at his desk, staring intently at a scroll with a downward curve to his mouth. He didn't seem to have noticed her presence.

Hinata opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.

 _Can I call him Sasuke? No, no, that's too familiar… Your majesty? Too formal! I'm his wife, after all…_

 _Ah, I'll just avoid that for now…_

"U-um… Excuse me," Hinata ventured forth in a quiet voice. Sharp, dark eyes immediately snapped up to meet her pale lilac orbs. She swallowed and gripped the wooden doorframe.

"Yes?" The king set down his scroll and rested his elbows on the table, his voice low and dry.

"I was w-wondering… If you don't mind—or if you're not too busy… Um…" Sasuke raised a brow questioningly. The low lighting in the room made Hinata notice for the first time that he had small, almost unnoticeable bags under his eyes. The day must have been tiring for him as well…

"Um… I was wondering if you could help me unwrap my obi?" Hinata blurted out the last few words in a fast blur, embarrassed at her own request. She could feel the heat rising to her face.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Sasuke deadpanned.

Hinata nearly fainted then and there. Instead, she gripped the doorframe harder and blushed like a tomato.

" _No!_ I'm not!" _That came out a bit too forcefully._ Hinata winced at Sasuke's surprised expression.

 _He must really be offended now… If he wasn't already mad at me from before…_

"What I mean is… I couldn't undo the wrappings in the back by myself and I didn't want to tear the fabric so I thought maybe you could… I mean, Hanabi or Kurenai usually help me with this when I go to sleep so…" Hinata bit her tongue. Sasuke blinked slowly.

 _Now I sound like an entitled princess who can't do anything for herself!_

"…Master Sai actually designed this so that it would require someone else to untie it—Not that I can't do it myself! But I… Umm…"

Realizing that she was rambling, she bit her lip and looked down at the floor. The awkward silence that stretched between them made her even more embarrassed.

"…Actually, I don't really need to wear this again so… Uh…" Hinata started retreating from the doorway. "I'll be fine by myself, actually…" She hastily bowed.

"Sorry for bothering you."

Hinata turned and scurried back towards the changing screen, tears of humiliation welling up once more.

 _I can just cut it off if I need to! It was stupid of me to bother him!_

"Wait!" The commanding tone made Hinata spin around. Sasuke stood at the door to his study.

That was quick. She hadn't even heard him get up from his desk.

"I'll do it."

Hinata stared at him in surprise.

This man was confusing. He was cruel and sarcastic one second, aloof and cold the next, and sometimes… Sometimes he would give her a glimpse of something that felt like tenderness beneath that arrogant, powerful superiority.

"Are you going to turn around or do you want me to walk behind you?" The amused glint in Sasuke's eyes made her heart stutter.

"Ah… Sorry!" Flustered, she immediately spun back around and held out her arms. Hinata heard him walk towards her and could feel cool puffs of breath on her hair soon after.

Her heart jerked with each tug on her obi. Her new husband was neither as gentle with the cloth as Kurenai nor as efficient as Hanabi, but he was able to quickly unwrap the knot and remove the structural padding in the back.

When he began to circle his arms around her waist to fully unwrap the obi, Hinata attempted to tell him that she could manage for herself from here.

"I got it," he grunted, sending Hinata into an awkward blush as his arms repeatedly brushed against her sides. He finished his work with a final sigh of air against the back of her neck and quickly folded the obi on a nearby stool.

"Wear that." Through her peripheral vision, Hinata saw her husband's black-clad arm point towards the purple yukata that was draped over the changing screen.

"Ah… Okay…"

Sasuke walked away before Hinata even had the chance to thank him.

She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and stared at the wooden floor.

 _That was…_

She could still feel his light touches tingling against the sensitive skin of her waist.

Hinata gulped. With a shake of her head, she began to methodically take off the rest of her robes. The ties and belts for the inner layers of her outfit were a lot thinner and easier to untie by herself. She folded each piece and laid them on the stool on top of the obi.

She shivered as the cool air hit her naked skin and quickly shrugged on the light purple kimono that the Stone king had previously pointed out. Once it was secured, Hinata could tell that the garment was probably a bit too tight for her comfort.

The soft cotton was a snug fit. It fell to the floor at just the right length but hugged her curves a bit too tightly around her hips and bust. Hinata bit her lip and tried to rearrange the yukata for more modesty, but made little progress.

 _Oh, I can't wait for my clothes to arrive tomorrow._

With a resigned sigh, she slowly stepped out from behind the screen. When she looked up, she saw that her new husband was standing next to the round table across from the entrance to the doorway.

His burning, coal eyes were intently fixed on her form… Acutely aware of her state of dress, Hinata awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest.

He immediately snapped his eyes up to hers. Hinata didn't miss the quick flick of his pink tongue across his dry bottom lip.

Hinata hugged herself even tighter and looked down in embarrassment. An awkward beat of silence ensued.

"Are you hungry?" Sasuke finally grunted, his voice pitched low.

"Ah, um… I'm alright?" Hinata responded slowly in confusion.

Her stomach grumbled loudly in protest.

Hinata prayed that Sasuke hadn't heard that from across the room, but when she looked up, he had a smug smirk on his face. She blushed again.

 _If I blush any harder tonight, I'm going to faint!_

She thought she heard a chuckle.

"I wasn't able to eat much at dinner either so I asked the guards to bring up a tray. Do you want to join me?"

His smirk was arrogant and expectant, as if he knew she wouldn't refuse. In an uncharacteristic urge of defiance, Hinata almost rejected him. Just to see what kind of surprised expression he would make.

 _Grrruuumble…_

Her traitorous stomach protested again. Sasuke pointedly raised a brow and glanced down.

"…Yes, thank you. I would like that very much."

"There are some extra blankets and robes in there." Sasuke thrust his chin towards the wardrobe next to the four-poster bed.

"Oh, um, thank you." Hinata quickly trotted over, anxious to cover herself more. She opened the dresser to see a neat array of haoris and kimonos in black, white, and various shades of gray. It seemed that this man didn't really like having much color in his life.

The robes were organized in almost mechanical precision by color and their hangers were spaced meticulously equidistant apart. He either had impeccable housekeepers come in all the time or he was something of a perfectionist. Hinata suspected the latter.

She picked out the haori that looked the shortest and quickly pulled it on. The white cloth was thick and warm, offering Hinata a much-needed layer of protection. Since it wasn't too cold in the bedroom, Hinata chose to leave the robes open in the front instead of tying the belt closed.

She turned around slowly, dreading the awkward tension that was sure to resurface with Sasuke. Sure enough, she saw that he was scowling intently at the floor, wrinkles marring his forehead and two tiny lines at the sides of his mouth.

Several beats of silence passed with neither party budging or making a sound.

 _Will the food get here soon? This is just too awkward…_

Hinata wrung her hands together.

… _I should at least try to be cordial?_

"Maybe we could sit while waiting for the food?" she ventured forth slowly in a tremulous, quiet voice.

Her husband looked at her and nodded, the frown slowly melting off his face. He pulled out a chair in front of him and sat down.

Hinata padded slowly towards the round table, the tension from before slightly leaving her body.

All of a sudden, Sasuke stood up from his seat, startling Hinata into stopping a few paces away from the table. He smoothly strode towards her and moved to pull out a chair. The annoyed look on his face suggested that he was internally scolding himself for being rude and forgetting.

"Um, really, there's no need…"

Hinata tried to assure him that she wasn't offended, but after a few flustered seconds, just ended up obeying his stony stare and plopping down. He strode back to his seat and sat back down again.

"The kitchens must be really busy tonight," she tried to smile and make small talk.

"Hm. They're used to this. The staff is competent enough."

Hinata wrapped the voluminous haori more tightly around herself. While the air between them wasn't quite as tense as it was before, there was still a fog of awkwardness, as to be expected from two strangers who suddenly found themselves bonded for life.

The silence stretched on. She could hear every breath that he took, which made her more conscious of her own movements.

Hinata was at a loss for words and so, she just stared at the empty table that stood between them.

After a minute or so, she heard a sharp intake of breath, prompting her to look up. Sasuke was staring down at the table with thinned lips.

He shifted to sit up straight, put his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands. With another sigh, he looked up into her eyes.

"I'll cut to the chase. I'm sure we were both coerced into this marriage by the elders or councils or whatever." Hinata's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to be so confrontational.

"I know the Leaf Kingdom needs this alliance with the Stone to appear strong after the late King and Queen's assassinations." Hinata winced at his blunt statement. The wounds from her parents' deaths hadn't yet healed and it hurt to hear someone speak of the murders in such a matter-of-fact way.

Sasuke's face seemed to soften when he saw her expression. He paused.

When he continued again, his voice was a tad bit gentler.

"What I'm trying to say is… We both need this marriage to work out." He unclasped his fingers and laid his hands on the table, palms up.

He leaned forwards and began speaking slowly, with an air of gravity.

"…So assist me, and I will do what I can to help you."

Although that was more of a statement than a question, he stared intently into Hinata's eyes, awaiting a response.

Hinata bit her lip and furrowed her brows. Everything that he said had been reasonable, but she still didn't totally trust the man.

 _What does he gain from all this? And what does he want with me?_

Hinata's voice trembled slightly when she spoke. "I k-know… I know that you had to take a wife to appease the elders. And it's true that the Leaf needs this alliance. But can I ask you… What help could I possibly be of to you? I exert almost no influence over King Danzo. I can't move any armies or provide any trade benefits that you haven't received already."

Sasuke nodded slowly and took a few seconds before replying.

"I understand that. And I wouldn't ask for your help in those matters." He paused there, as if weighing his next few words very carefully.

"You probably don't know this, but I have had some trouble with swaying public opinion in my favor ever since I became king. The people of the Stone Kingdom distrust me and view the royal family as cold and uncaring, which, as I'm sure you can imagine, has caused a few problems for me."

Hinata nodded. For decades, the Uchiha clan had been known for ruling mercilessly with an iron fist. There were rumors that they had exterminated entire noble clans in the past in fear of uprisings or rebellions. It made sense for the Stone Kingdom citizens to distrust a man from such a heritage who rose to power amidst whispers of regicide.

"You know, you're pretty well known for being a champion of the common people, with all that charity work and all."

Hinata shifted in her seat. She had always felt uncomfortable when politicians and nobles talked to her about her work outside of the imperial palace. They either wanted to sneer at her for mingling with peasants or, even worse, congratulate her on garnering the people's favor and tricking them into thinking that the royal family cared about them. While she knew that part of the reason that she had been encouraged to continue working in the slums was for the positive publicity, it still made her shrivel up a little inside when people questioned her intentions.

"Most of my citizens are likely to have that same impression of you. I'd like it if you could do the same here as you did back in your home country. I'll give you resources and protection, anything that you would reasonably need."

"So, essentially, you want me to win the people over so that they'll be more supportive of your policies," Hinata murmured and looked away.

She was naturally averse to such insincere political maneuvers, as deception had never sat well with her.

Apparently, her discomfort showed.

"Remember. If I fall, you fall too." Sasuke stated that like a foreboding warning.

"I know," Hinata whispered and bit her lip. She could tell that she had landed in the middle of some dangerous things in the Stone Kingdom.

Perhaps the nation wasn't as stable as it appeared to be after the shift in power. Was there going to be a coup d'état?

In any case, one thing was clear: their fates were now tied together. Hinata knew that if she wanted to do well in her new country and thus best support her beloved Leaf Kingdom, she would have to try to do her best with the Stone King. She took a deep breath and sat up.

"I would be honored to continue my work with the hospitals and shelters in the capital." At that, the Stone King seemed to relax a little more in his chair. "I… I would also like for our marriage to work out too… But in order for that to happen and for me to help you the best that I can, we'll need to trust each other more…"

Hinata trailed off, her courage slightly faltering at the Stone King's narrowing eyes. She swallowed, wetting her dry throat. After a few seconds, she plowed forward.

"What I m-mean is… Umm… This is the first I've heard of any civil unrest. P-Please at least tell me, why has there been a problem with your people? The Stone Kingdom's economy has flourished and the wars have stopped since you became king… I've only heard praises for your actions in the Leaf Kingdom."

Sasuke blinked slowly and stared downwards. Hinata didn't dare breathe too loudly and interrupt his concentration.

After several seconds of silence, the dark-haired man nodded and stared deeply into her eyes.

"What I want to do for the country has always been in the best interests of the people, but there are other clans who seek to overthrow me and steal the throne. This is the most vulnerable that the Uchiha clan has ever been and there are now more people than ever seeking to monopolize on that to gain more power." Hinata nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"They're trying to use the people to weaken my influence… We've actually found traitors working with the Cloud Kingdom. We think that they may be linked to the attempt on your life in Sable City."

Hinata gasped. His gaze seemed earnest.

Her thoughts flickered back to what Hanabi had told her that night at the Sable City inn. If the Cloud Kingdom was involved in the assassination of her parents and had a hand in causing the unrest in the Stone Kingdom, was there something deeper going on? As far as she remembered, the northern nation never had much of an interest in meddling with other countries' affairs. In fact, their swampy and marshy territory didn't even yield the resources necessary for waging any kind of long-term offensive.

"One of the traitors will be executed next week, so word about this will get out soon. But before then, do not speak of this to anyone."

Hinata nodded. "You can trust me."

Sasuke raised a brow, as if saying, _I'll see about that_.

Hinata's heart quickened and she gripped her hands.

 _Should I tell him about the Cloud Kingdom's possible involvement in the Leaf assassinations?_

 _No, no… I promised Hanabi that I wouldn't tell anyone. She wasn't supposed to tell me and this is a risky situation. I don't know if I can trust the Stone Kingdom yet…_

 _If the wrong people knew that Hanabi, Shino, and Kiba were on a mission alone in the Cloud, they could be put in grave danger!_

… _But any information that the Stone Kingdom could provide may be helpful to them… We could work together and piece together everything that's been happening with the Cloud…_

"Do you have something to say?"

Hinata nervously met Sasuke's expectant gaze and scolded herself for being so transparent.

"I… Um…" Her heart pounded as she tried to figure out what she should—or shouldn't—say.

Although he wasn't necessarily nice, Sasuke was straightforward and brusque. Hinata would choose to trust people like him over slimy councilmen any day.

…But still…

 _Knock, knock._

Two loud raps on the door made Hinata jump in her seat. She had completely forgotten about the food. The tension was broken as Sasuke left the table and walked to the door of their bedroom. Hinata quietly sighed in relief as her heartrate gradually slowed down.

She watched him open the door and receive a large, round tray. When the door was pushed open wider, Hinata saw that the king was chatting with the ponytailed general from before—Shikamaru? After a few quick exchanges, Sasuke slammed the door shut and walked back towards the table. He had a slightly miffed expression on his face.

"The food smells delicious," Hinata gave her best reassuring smile, praying that Sasuke wouldn't try to push her to continue their discussion. She didn't want to leak her little sister's secret but wasn't confident that she could give a good enough performance to smooth over his suspicions and win a bit more of his trust.

Sasuke gave a non-committal grunt of agreement and set the tray on the table. The dishes looked cold but still exuded a rich blend of aromas.

Hinata's stomach grumbled again.

A colorful stir fry of vegetables and chicken sat on one plate while leafy greens in some kind of shiny brown sauce were beautifully arranged in another. An entire steamed fished with scallions and ginger was presented in the middle. There were two small bowls of white rice and two pairs of chopsticks at opposite ends of the tray.

Sasuke sat down and grabbed a bowl of rice. Hinata mirrored him and tentatively took the other bowl with the corresponding chopsticks. They both started eating in silence.

The food was as delicious as expected. Realizing that she was starving, Hinata ate as quickly as she could while keeping with etiquette. After a couple of minutes of eating, she glanced up. It seemed like Sasuke had been quite hungry as well.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked up quizzically. Hinata blushed, embarrassed at being caught staring again, and went back to eating.

A few bites later, she heard a few dull clinks as the Stone King set down his chopsticks.

"Since you spoke of building trust earlier…"

Hinata froze and her heart jumped. _Is he going to ask about the Cloud Kingdom?_

"…Let's try to get to know each other better."

She blinked. The sudden willingness to chat was surprising.

"Uh, I think that would be nice…?" Hinata said hesitantly.

The man gave a satisfied nod but didn't say anything. They fell into a stiff silence for a few moments.

 _I guess he's awkward in these kinds of situations too?_

"I-I think people usually try to talk about their hobbies and friends and family—" With a shock, Hinata remembered that Sasuke was the last of his clan. She cringed at her own insensitivity.

"…And other… Things…" she finished lamely.

"It's fine." His voice was level but a bit worn. "It's been a year."

"But it still doesn't get any less painful, right?" She whispered apologetically, sadness melting into her glistening lilac eyes at the memory of her own parents.

The king looked up into her eyes, his gaze carrying something akin to recognition and mourning.

In that moment, Hinata realized that she possibly shared more with Sasuke Uchiha than either of them had initially expected.

The king broke the stare first. He hunched over, his back tense, and leaned his forehead on his clasped hands. He closed his eyes for a few moments.

Hinata couldn't make out his expression under the dark curtain of his bangs. She squeezed her hands nervously.

 _Did I upset him?_

"I think…" His voice was low and soft. "We may have had a bit of a misunderstanding when we first met." He paused and looked at her. He spoke his next few words slowly.

"I would like it… if we could be more… Uh, amicablemoving forward."

 _Is he trying to say…?_

Hinata gave a few startled blinks before her face broke into a small, tremulous smile.

"…Me too," her voice was light and tinted with relief.

He responded with a slight upward quirk of the lips. Hinata thought that it made the usually dark man look rather handsome.

"So, do tell, what kind of _hobbies_ do you have?" The king smirked, giving a nod to her previous comment. His slight sarcasm was more playful teasing than mocking.

Hinata blushed but felt herself relaxing at the much more cordial atmosphere.

"Ah, well… I had a garden back in the imperial palace… It was nothing big but I liked to tend to a lot of the plants there."

"Flowers, huh?"

"I did have a few flowering plants, but I mostly cultivated herbs." At her audience's look of interest, Hinata felt encouraged to elaborate.

"I guess I kind of liked making my own ointments and medicinal poultices for the clinics and hospitals that I worked in… We were actually able to grow a lot of rare plants in the palace that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else in the Leaf Kingdom and they sometimes came in handy… And it was nice to be able to use fresh herbs whenever I cooked…" Sasuke tilted his head. "…At the food shelters, I mean," Hinata quickly added.

She had found that it was difficult to explain her hobby to people of noble birth and she did not want to give the impression that the Leaf Kingdom made their Crown Princess do menial chores.

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully.

"You should meet Ino. The Yamanaka clan provided the bouquets today. They have a greenhouse in the castle that you might be interested in."

"Ah, those were really beautiful!"

Hinata had marveled at how the Stone Kingdom was able to get such fresh, beautiful flowers when it was nearly winter. Greenhouses required plenty of glass, which she knew to be a ridiculously expensive resource that even the Leaf Kingdom didn't have much of despite their alliance with the Sand Kingdom.

Hinata made a mental note. The Yamanaka clan must be extremely powerful to be able to afford the upkeep of an entire building of glass… Were they also closely allied to the Uchiha clan?

"And you'll have to meet Tsunade and Sakura if you wish to continue your work with the hospitals…"

"That would be an honor!" Hinata's eyes widened. She smiled in delight.

She had heard of the legendary and beautiful healer—who hadn't? Lady Tsunade had made a name for herself as a medic during the wars over the past few decades. She was rumored to have accepted wounded soldiers no matter what country they were from. It was said that she single-handedly cut down the number of casualties on the Stone Kingdom's side by at least half. The doctor now resided in the capital since her country was currently in a time of peace.

As if annoyed by her obvious hero-worship, Sasuke's eyebrow twitched.

"You might be disappointed with the real person," he warned, his tone dry. "She's not what most people expect."

 _Ah, I suppose she must be nearly sixty years old now..._ Hinata thought of the old women that she had known back in the Leaf Kingdom. Most of them had little energy and couldn't quite move around properly to do much of anything.

 _I guess time treats everyone the same way…_

"Ah, no… I'm sure she's still an amazing person. I would love to be able to learn from her!"

Sasuke responded with a small, offhanded shrug.

 _Ah… We've only been talking about me… I haven't asked him about himself at all!_

Hinata realized that despite his stand-offish outer visage, the Uchiha was actually a good listener.

"And you, King Sasuke? What do you like to do?"

He leaned forward and gave her a pointed look.

"Just Sasuke is fine."

"Ah…" Hinata was surprised albeit slightly honored that the king had given her permission to call him by just his first name.

"…Then please call me Hinata," she smiled softly.

Sasuke nodded at the exchange. He then leaned back in his chair, a barely-present ghost of a smile in his eyes.

"With respect to what I do in my free time… You know, with all the work that it takes to run a country, I don't quite have the luxury of watering plants or picking herbs."

"Oh!" Hinata sat up and waved her hands in the air apologetically. "Um… I didn't mean to imply that you didn't have a lot of work to do, or…"

Sasuke looked at her distraught reaction in amusement.

"Uh… I'm sure…"

Much to her relief, Sasuke cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"I used to like to travel." Sasuke crossed his arms and looked towards the window with a thoughtful expression.

"Shikamaru and Choji and I used to sneak out into the city once in a while. And every so often, I would ride to the seaports near the capital."

"You seemed… close with the general."

Sasuke pursed his lips.

"Shikamaru? Yeah, I guess we grew up together. His father is one of our top military strategists…" His usually sharp eyes relaxed into something that almost looked like warmth mixed with a flicker of yearning.

"We trained together when I was younger. We used to say that we would become generals together."

Hinata thought of Kiba and Shino wistfully.

"It must be nice to have your friends so close by your side…"

 _I wonder how they're doing in the northern mountains. Winter is coming… Hopefully they'll be able to make it out and finish their mission before the blizzards hit…_

 _Hanabi is to join them in a week's time…_

Although Hinata had seen so many people at the celebrations today, a gloom of loneliness began to press down on her chest. Neji, her sister, and the rest of the Leaf Kingdom soldiers would leave tomorrow.

Hinata chewed on her bottom lip and tried to control her nervous worry. If it weren't for Kurenai's assuring support, she would've been left all by herself here in this foreign country…

 _Thank the gods Danzo let her accompany me to the Stone Kingdom._

"You don't look very happy to be here."

Hinata knew that she should be trying to refute his claim, but Sasuke's soft, almost pitying tone of voice had no trace of anger or offense.

Maybe he understood.

She looked back up and met his eyes. He had leaned back in his chair and was staring down at her in a rather scrupulous manner past the bridge of his nose.

Hinata returned his gaze for a few seconds and then looked down at her hands. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and tender.

"My mother… She used to say that the secret to being happy is to accept where you are in life and to make the most out of what you have."

Sasuke hmphed and hunched forward on his elbows.

"I don't believe in just accepting your fate or whatever. Where you are depends on what you've done. And where you'll be in the future depends on the actions that you take now."

"Well yes, but there's only so much that you can do…"

Sasuke sighed.

"Either way, I'm glad you have such an optimistic outlook on the rest of your life here." His tone was slightly sarcastic and dry. "I would much rather have a useful queen than a homesick, weepy one."

Hinata didn't consider herself a prideful person, but what little ego she had flared up at the small jab. She sat up tall and straightened her spine.

"I assure y-you," Although she tried to sound as strong as she could, her voice still quavered a bit at the beginning. Hinata swallowed quickly and looked into Sasuke's eyes with as much conviction as she could muster, trying to make him believe her words. She continued on, this time in a much clearer tone.

"I plan to do everything I can to become someone worthy of the title of Queen of the Stone Kingdom."

Sasuke rested his chin on his hand, his dark eyes glinting with interest.

"You have a lot more guts than I expected from when I first met you." Hinata blushed slightly at the memory of her awkward muteness during their first encounter. Although she was embarrassed, she felt the urge to defend herself.

"Well, first impressions can sometimes be deceiving, I suppose…"

Sasuke scowled at her and glanced back down to the table.

Did he look… guilty?

"In that case, I don't think I quite made the best introduction either." He scowled even more intently at the table. It sounded like someone was forcing the words out of his mouth.

 _Is he… trying to apologize?_

After a moment of silence and continued scowling, Hinata realized that that was all he was going to say on the matter. She timidly smiled, a small spark of humor bubbling up inside her at his almost-childish reaction.

She took a small breath and slowly extended her hand across the table.

"Erm, I guess we can… try to start over?"

Sasuke met her hopeful gaze with an unfathomable look.

 _Ah, is this too much? He's just going to laugh at me…_

Just as Hinata was about to lower her hand in embarrassment, Sasuke suddenly reached out and shook it in a warm, firm grip.

"Let's work together then."

Sasuke's eyes softened into a slight smile, making Hinata's heart flutter in relief. She relaxed, smiled in response, and gently dipped her head in a nod.

"If you would like, I can give you a tour of the castle tomorrow afternoon—after the Leaf Kingdom party departs." Hinata felt a pang of sadness at the reminder but shook it off and smiled at him in appreciation. It wasn't his fault that Hanabi had to return as early as possible to join Kiba and Shino on their mission to the Cloud. It was actually quite nice of them not to take offense at the Leaf dignitaries' rather short stay for such an important event.

"That would be nice… But you must be busy?" Sasuke waved that off and continued in a pragmatic, matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"The festivities are going to last until dusk at least. Nobody will be expecting either of us to be doing any work, the benefits of being newlyweds and all."

"Ah-ah… I see…" Sasuke's mention of their newlywed status made Hinata a bit more flustered. "Well, in that case, thank you. I think I'd like that."

Sasuke nodded and stood up from his chair.

"I have a few more things to go through tonight. Feel free to go ahead and sleep." He waved towards the cooling food on the table as he made his way towards the open door of the study.

"You can leave the tray there. The servants will take care of it in the morning."

Hinata's eyes followed his lean form across the room.

His back was straight and he carried himself with pride, but she could tell from the slight slouch of his shoulders through his black yukata that he was a man who was starting to get worn down, perhaps by the weight of all his responsibilities as king…

"Good night, Sasuke," she spoke in a hushed tone.

He paused outside of the study, his torso lit by the waxy, ebbing light of candles and framed by the dark wooden frame of the doorway.

The soft, muffled cry of an owl drifted in from the windows. Sasuke placed his hand on the door to the study and turned at his waist, almost as if he was moving to face her. He froze halfway, his face hidden by the dark locks of his bangs.

"Good night… Hinata."

* * *

Author's Note: Engineering is hard. :( Didn't have as much time to revise this as I would've liked (since I wanted to get it out to you guys ASAP!) so the quality may be iffy. If any of you see any errors, please point them out to me! As I said last chapter, updates may be more like once a month until the school year ends.

Some of you pointed out that you wanted to see our favorite(?) obnoxious blonde ninja! Naruto won't be appearing quite yet… But I've mentioned him a few times in past chapters. Did any of you guys catch it? ;)


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